Full Answer
How is chemotherapy delivered?
There are several different chemotherapy drugs available, and there are all sorts of different methods your oncologist can use to deliver chemo. At MetroHealth we have all of the latest chemo options available, so you will get just the right kind of help. Often, chemo is delivered intravenously, meaning that the drug is delivered into your vein.
What is chemo treatment?
Chemotherapy, or chemo, involves the use of medications to treat cancer. Chemo drugs kill cancer cells in your tumor as well as cancer cells that have spread to other parts of your body.
Can chemotherapy and radiation be given together?
Additionally, chemotherapy and radiation can complement each other, and doctors may administer them together. Whether someone has radiation or chemotherapy depends on the type of cancer and how far it has spread. Overall, there is no evidence suggesting that one treatment is more effective than others in all or most cases.
How does radiation therapy work at MetroHealth?
When you come to MetroHealth for radiation therapy, we'll start by performing a scan to accurately locate the tumor, so we can focus radiation beams precisely. During treatment, you'll lie down while we aim radiation beams at your tumor. The process takes only about 2 minutes, and then you're ready to go home.
Who administers chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy should be administered by “a qualified physician, physician assistant, registered nurse, or advanced practice nurse.” This can include non-oncology professionals as long as they have the training and education required to administer the agents.
Who administers radiotherapy?
Therapeutic radiographers operate the machines that give you your treatment. They are trained in radiotherapy and patient care, and work with the oncologist and physicist to plan and deliver your treatment.
How can radiation therapy be delivered?
Radiation therapy may be delivered externally or internally. External radiation delivers high-energy rays directly to the cancer from a machine outside the body. Internal radiation, or brachytherapy, is the implantation of a small amount of radioactive material (seeds) in or near the cancer.
What kind of doctor performs chemotherapy?
Medical oncologist: A doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating cancer with chemotherapy and other drugs. A medical oncologist is different from a surgical oncologist, who mostly treats cancer with surgery.
What professionals are involved in radiotherapy?
Your radiotherapy teamAbout your radiotherapy team.Consultant clinical oncologist (cancer doctor)Therapeutic radiographer.Consultant therapeutic radiographer.Other specialist radiographers.Radiologist.Physicist.Nurse.More items...
Who works in radiation therapy?
Radiation therapists work with radiation oncologists. They administer the daily radiation treatment under the doctor's prescription and supervision. They maintain daily records and regularly check the treatment machines to make sure they are working properly.
How is chemotherapy administered?
Chemotherapy is most often given as an infusion into a vein (intravenously). The drugs can be given by inserting a tube with a needle into a vein in your arm or into a device in a vein in your chest. Chemotherapy pills. Some chemotherapy drugs can be taken in pill or capsule form.
Can I drive myself to radiation treatments?
Unless you feel ill, you can typically drive yourself to treatment. In fact, many patients are able to work full-time during their treatment.
When does an oncologist get involved?
Takeaway. You will likely be referred to an oncologist if your doctor suspects that you have the disease. Your primary care physician may carry out tests to determine if you might have cancer. If there are any signs of cancer, your doctor may recommend visiting an oncologist as soon as possible.
What is the difference between an oncologist and a medical oncologist?
A medical oncologist will treat your cancer with chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy. A radiation oncologist will treat your cancer with radiation therapy. A surgical oncologist uses surgery to remove tumors.
Is a radiation oncologist A doctor?
Radiation oncologists are the doctors who will oversee your radiation therapy treatments. These physicians work with the other members of the radiation therapy team to develop and prescribe your treatment plan and make sure that each treatment is given accurately.
Are hematologist and oncologist the same?
Hematologists specialize in diagnosing and treating blood diseases. Oncologists specialize in diagnosing and treating cancers. A hematologist oncologist specializes in both. You might see a hematologist oncologist if you have blood cancer or suspected blood cancer.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy has two main distinguishing factors. First, it uses specialized drugs that are designed to target and kill cells that divide rapidly (like cancer cells). Second, these drugs work throughout the entire body, not just one specific part, so they can prevent cancer cells from spreading to other parts of the body.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy works much differently. While chemotherapy delivers drugs to the entire body, radiation aims to only target the specific area of the body where there are cancerous cells, and aims to reduce the number of healthy cells that are affected during treatment.
How Radiation Therapy and Chemotherapy are Used to Treat Cancer
No body and no cancer is created equal. And no approach to cancer treatment should be created equal, too. While chemotherapy and radiation therapy are both designed to treat the body and to fight cancer, each does so in different ways.
What is radiation therapy?
Radiation therapy involves high doses of radiation being delivered directly into the tumor to kill cancer cells. This treatment option may be used to eliminate cancer or help control the disease and ease the symptoms that it causes.
What are the treatments for cancer?
When a patient is diagnosed with cancer, they are often presented with three main treatment options – chemotherapy radiation therapy and surgery. These can be done singularly or in combination with each other. The two most common treatments physicians recommend are radiation and chemotherapy. They both have the same goals, which are to: 1 Eliminate Cancer – When used to destroy cancer cells to the point that it is no longer detectable in the patient’s body and will not grow back. 2 Control Cancer – When used to keep cancer from spreading, to slow its growth or to destroy cancer cells that have spread to other parts of the body. 3 Ease Cancer Symptoms – Also known as palliative care, both radiation and chemotherapy can be used to shrink tumors that are causing pain or pressure.
What is the goal of chemo?
The goal of chemotherapy is to slow or stop cancer growth and prevent it from spreading to other areas of the body via metastasis. There are various types of chemotherapy, each working slightly differently.
What is the purpose of chemotherapy?
In chemotherapy, doctors administer chemotherapeutic agents, a large group of drugs that can slow or stop the growth of cells. Most of them target fast-growing cells that divide and proliferate. However, they do not distinguish between healthy cells and cancer cells.
What to expect from chemotherapy and radiation?
What to expect. Summary. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are cancer treatments. They use different approaches to shrink tumors, kill cancer cells, and prevent cancer from spreading. A cancer diagnosis can be life changing. Individuals with the condition may need to consider treatment options, including chemotherapy and radiation.
Why are the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation similar?
Because chemotherapy and radiation damage both healthy cells and cancerous cells, the side effects are similar.
What is the definition of chemo?
The definition of chemotherapy. Doctors prescribe chemotherapy as the first line of treatment for a wide range of cancers. However, they may also use the term “chemotherapy” to refer to any medication to treat a disease. , a large group of drugs that can slow or stop the growth of cells.
Does radiation help with endometrial cancer?
A 2019 study tested the combination of radiation and chemotherapy for stage 3 or 4 endometrial cancer. Compared to chemotherapy alone, the addition of radiation did not increase the time between remission and relapse. The right treatment depends on many factors.
Can radiation and chemotherapy be used together?
Additionally, chemotherapy and radiation can complement each other, and doctors may administer them together.
What is the goal of chemo?
The goal of chemotherapy is to kill the cancer cells, shrink the tumor, or destroy the tumor. Destroying the tumor can eliminate cancer, while shrinking it can relieve some symptoms if the tumor is causing pain or interfering with other tissues.
Why is chemo used for cancer?
The drugs used in chemotherapy are often given so that they can reach and kill cancer cells system-wide, outside of the primary tumor your doctor may have discovered.
Why do we give radiation before surgery?
For example, chemo or radiation may be given before surgery to shrink a tumor to make it easier to remove. Or they may be given after surgery to ensure all cancer cells are removed from the body.
Why is chemo important?
So chemotherapy is an important treatment option to help kill cancer cells that may have escaped the primary tumor and spread to other parts of the body but are too small to see ; these are called micrometastases. 3
What can help with tumors?
Chemotherapy can also help treat any tumor pieces or cells left over after other treatment approaches, like surgery or radiation therapy.
Why are combination treatments used?
Combination treatments are used for many reasons. Treatments may be more effective when they’re combined. For example, chemotherapy may make radiation treatments more effective.
What is the oldest treatment for cancer?
One of the oldest treatments for cancer is chemotherapy, in which drugs are given through an intravenous (IV) injection or orally. Chemotherapy can have effects system-wide, which means it impacts your whole body. 1
What is chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy (chemo) is the use of strong medicines to treat cancer. It has been used for many years and is one of the most common treatments for cancer. In most cases, chemo damages the cancer cell's ability to grow and spread. Different groups of medicines work in different ways to fight cancer.
What are some common chemo side effects?
Many different kinds of chemo medicines are used to treat cancer. Nearly all of them cause side effects.
Working with your healthcare provider
It's important to know which medicines you're taking. Write your medicines down. Ask your healthcare team how each medicine works and what side effects each medicine might have—both short-term and long-term. Talk about the goal of your chemo treatment. Your cancer care team is the best place to get information.
How is chemo delivered?
Chemotherapy is delivered through an infusion into a vein or medication port, or it can be taken orally.
What is chemo therapy?
Chemotherapy medications are designed to destroy cells in the body that divide rapidly — specifically, cancer cells.
How does radiation therapy work?
Radiation therapy involves giving high doses of radiation beams directly into a tumor. The radiation beams change the DNA makeup of the tumor, causing it to shrink or die. This type of cancer treatment has fewer side effects than chemotherapy since it only targets one area of the body.
What is the best treatment for cancer?
However, there are many treatment options that work to fight off cancer cells and prevent them from spreading. Chemotherapy and radiation are among the most effective treatments for most types of cancer. Although they have the same goals, there are key differences between the two types ...
What happens when you get radiation therapy?
With radiation therapy, beams of radiation are focused on a specific area in your body. The radiation changes the DNA makeup of the tumor, causing the cells to die instead of multiplying and possibly spreading.
How is chemotherapy given?
Chemotherapy is a medication given to treat cancer that’s designed to kill cancer cells. It’s usually taken by mouth or given through an infusion into a vein or medication port. There are many different types of chemotherapy drugs.
How many types of radiation therapy are there?
There are three types of radiation therapy used to treat cancer: