Chemotherapy is a medical technique of treating cancer. As its name indicates wide variety of chemicals used in this technique. It mainly involves destroying cells that multiply rapidly, one of the dangerous feature of cancer cells.
How Chemotherapy treatment is done?
- Chemotherapy port is a small equipment used to inject the chemotherapy drugs into the patient body.
- Medication can be done orally, intravenously or by injecting. dosage depends on the stage and type of cancer along with patients health status.
- Chemotherapy port surgery involves injecting medicine directly into the blood stream, it can be painful.
- Two types of chemotherapy ports namely central venous port and intraperitoneal port.
- Central venous port used to cure most of the cancer types.
- Intraperitoneal port used to treat gastrointestinal and ovarian cancer.
- Surgery can be carried on general or local anesthesia, first port incision of one inch long then two inch long in second time directly to the vein attaching catheter in the abdominal or chest region.
An X-ray may be taken to make sure the incision made properly.
Foods you must consume to manage weight during chemotherapy:
- During Chemotherapy intake of protein rich food is mandatory to manage fatigue and weight .
- Proper supply of proteins for the effective growth of healthy cells and reduces the growth of cancer cells.
- Protein shakes, pistachios, eggs, lentils, spinach, broccoli ,fish oil supplements are rich in proteins.
- Nuts ,dairy products, dried beans, peanuts, sandwiches with lots of butter serves high protein.
- Almonds are richest in protein which are helpful to combat cancer fatigue as it contains high strength boosting minerals like copper and manganese.
- Plain protein shake or along with milk gives adequate immediate supply of energy.
- Excessive fluid intake is excellent like tender coconut water, green tea, carrot smoothies.
- Appetite stimulants must be taken as prescribed by the doctor.
- Cup of green tea twice per day will be great, drink lots of water to keep the body hydrated.
Foods you should avoid during chemotherapy:
- Glucose rich foods should be strictly avoided as it increases the cancer cells division.
- Avoid foods which contains sugar from your diet.
- protein rich foods from animals such as meat, fish, red meat like pork, lamb, beef, duck.
- Caffeinated drinks, alcohol strictly prohibited as it causes dehydration in the body.
- Fried foods ,desserts, pastries, cakes as it promotes cancer cells division.
Chemotherapy is the very widely used treatment to cure cancer. This technique identifies the cancer cells and destroys them and controls the spreading for other organs of body. This treatment can be given as a shot, orally or intravenously and administered in the hospital.
Side effects of chemotherapy:
- Excessive loss of hair is the major change that can be observed after chemotherapy due to drugs like cytoxan, taxol, adriamycin.
- To grow hair apply moroccanoil. Intake vitamin E rich foods, Wear a scarf or hats during outdoors.
- Infections can be seen in areas where incision is made due to weakened immune system.
- Chemo brain-cognitive dysfunction nothing but brain disorders includes abnormal cognitive functions such as confusion, disorganized, feeling tough to learn and think, reminding past is difficult task.
- After cancer treatments people may suffer from anemia, infection, sleeping disorders like insomnia.
- Reduced blood count and hemoglobin count, nausea, constipation, hyper sensitivity, mouth and throat sores, suppressed bone marrow, bleeding or clotting problems.
Chemotherapy vs radiation therapy:
- In Chemotherapy we use chemicals where as in radiation therapy with the help of radiations like X-rays we target cancer cells.
- Chemotherapy drugs restricts the division of cancer cells along with target of cancer cells where as radiation therapy targets only location of the cancer cells.
- Chemotherapy treats the cancers like leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer etc. where as the radiation therapy cures cervical cancer, skin cancer, breast cancer, spinal cancer, prostate cancer etc.
- Chemotherapy drugs are topoisomerase , anthracyclines etc. where as radiation therapy utilizes particle beams, X-rays, gamma rays etc.
- Chemotherapy is oral or intravenous treatment where as radiation therapy internal or external way to target the affected organs of the body.
- Chemotherapy is a very first stage of treatment then comes the radiation therapy .If both fails to cure , cancer patient can be treated by giving both chemotherapy and radiation therapy in combination to cure cancer. Both the techniques may give severe painful sensations.
Chemotherapy drugs:
- Carboplatin (paraplatin) – used to cure head, neck, ovary, lung related cancers.
- Crisplatin (platinol, platinol -AQ) – used to treat bladder, testicles and ovarian cancer.
- Cyclophosphamide(cytoxan, neosar) – it is an oral drug it can also be given intravenously. This drug helps to treat lymphoma, breast, ovarian carcinoma.
- Docetaxel (Taxotere) – intravenously given for breast and prostate cancer.
- Doxorubicin(adriamycin) – intravenously given for multiple myeloma,breast cancer and lymphoma.
- Gemcitabine(gemzar) – it can be given for pancreas, lungs and breast cancer.
- Methotrexate – used to treat lymph system, breast, bone and blood cancer.
- Praclitaxel (taxol) – intravenously given for breast, lungs and ovarian related cancer.
- Some more medicines are erlotinib , imatinib, vincristine, topotecan, bleomycin, sorafinib, irinotecan etc.
These are the most effective medicines till date. We can find wide variety of drugs in market. Chemotherapy drugs are highly expensive and they are poisonous too. To kill dangerous cancer cells we obviously need toxic drugs which are strong enough to destroy life threatening disorder like cancer. health is wealth keep yourself away from cancer causing habits like smoking, tobacco, alcohol, harmful drugs like heroin etc.