The medical aspects of a breast cancer treatment plan can be overwhelming. There are so many things happening to your body that you do not understand. Below is a basic explanation of what chemotherapy entails, to equip you with knowledge.
What is chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is generally used in conjunction with radiotherapy, surgery and/or hormone therapy. It is the term used for treatment (therapy) of a disease by means of chemical medication (anti-cancer drugs).
Chemotherapy is described as a systemic therapy that often forms part of the treatment regimen for cancer. That means it is treated via the bloodstream and therefore reaches every part of the body, not just the tumour.
The medication is carried to the cancer cells via the bloodstream. The cancer cells are attacked and killed, including those that have spread to the rest of the body.
Generally, a combination of different drugs are used. This is because different drugs attack the cells at different stages of cell division. By using a combination of drugs, the cancer cells are combated in different ways.
Goals of chemotherapy
Chemotherapy has three main goals:
- Cure
- Control
- Supporting radiotherapy or surgery
It is mostly used for cancer that has spread, because it works throughout the body. Chemotherapy can control the size and spread of a tumour, thereby extending the patient’s life expectancy and improving quality of life.
Surgery or radiotherapy is used to remove the tumour. Because chemotherapy can attack cancer cells throughout the body, it is used to ensure that all cancer cells are eradicated. It is also used before surgery to reduce the size of the tumour.
How is chemotherapy administered?
The most common method of administration is intravenous injection or infusion (drip).
It can be administered directly into a vein by syringe, like an ordinary injection. It only takes a few seconds. It can also be administered over a longer period by means of an infusion – the medication flows from a plastic bag suspended from a stand via a plastic tube through the needle into the vein, at a regulated speed.
The needle is kept in position with a sturdy plaster and the infusion may last from a few minutes to a few hours.
People often ask if the procedure is painful, but It is no more painful than an ordinary injection. Sometimes there might be a slight irritation of the vein or the skin at the site of injection.
Treatment may last a few hours and is followed by a rest period of a few days or weeks, to give normal cells a chance to recover. The length of treatment is determined by the drugs used.
What are the side effects of chemotherapy?
The side effects of chemotherapy – such as nausea, vomiting, hair loss, affected sense of taste, Cystitis (bladder infection), Stomatitis, diarrhoea, skin problems and affected sexuality are all temporary and disappear after the treatment has been completed.
Read how to treat the side effects of chemotherapy here.
