Chemotherapy is a method of treatment that uses drugs (chemotherapeutics) that kill cancer cells by interrupting their growth and division. It affects cancer cells to a much greater extent and much faster than healthy ones.
Chemotherapeutics are very powerful drugs that damage rapidly dividing cells, such as not only cancer cells, but also some healthy cells in the body. This is the reason for the side effects of chemotherapy.
Types of chemotherapy
Chemotherapy can be divided into different groups, depending on the drugs used, the purpose of treatment, the method of introduction of the drug into the body:
- Monochemotherapy – treatment with a chemotherapeutic;
- Polychemotherapy – treatment in combination with more than one chemotherapeutic;
- Adjuvant chemotherapy – performed after surgery or radiation therapy; neoadjuvant chemotherapy – performed before surgery or radiation therapy;
- Medical chemotherapy – in order to achieve complete remission (complete cure of cancer);
- Palliative chemotherapy – to relieve symptoms and improve the patient’s quality of life;
- Maintenance chemotherapy – its main purpose is to continue the resulting partial or complete remission;
- Local (local) or intracavitary (intracavitary) chemotherapy – for example, injection of chemotherapeutics directly into the bladder.
Other types of drugs are used in the treatment of cancer. There are newer and more modern drugs that perform the so-called targeted therapy. Targeted drugs destroy the tumor by blocking genes or proteins found in its cells. This type of treatment spares healthy cells, unlike chemotherapy, which not only affects cancer cells but also affects healthy ones. Each type of antitumor therapy has its role in the treatment plan, which is appointed individually for each patient.
There are other therapies that are included in the treatment of cancer, such as taking hormonal drugs (hormone therapy) and those that help the immune system fight the tumor (immunotherapy).
Objectives of chemotherapy
The goals of chemotherapy depend on the type of tumor and its spread. Sometimes the main goal is to destroy the tumor completely and prevent recurrence (recurrence of the tumor). If this is not possible, the goal is for chemotherapy to slow the progression of the disease.
Delaying the growth of the tumor can also relieve the symptoms caused by it. This is palliative chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy treatment plan
There are many drugs to treat cancer. Each patient’s medication is prescribed by a medical oncologist. The type of chemotherapeutics, the dose and the treatment regimen depend on various factors, such as:
- Type of tumor;
- The size of the tumor, its location in the body and its spread (if any). Doctors call this staging;
- The age and general health of the patient;
- How the patient will tolerate some of the side effects of the treatment;
- Concomitant diseases;
- Previous cancer treatments (if any).
Where is chemotherapy treated? This treatment is usually performed in a hospital setting. There is also chemotherapy treatment, which is taken at home.
How long does chemotherapy last?
Chemotherapy courses are prescribed for a certain period of time (6 months or a year) or continue as long as they are effective. The side effects of treatment are often too severe to perform on a daily basis. The courses of treatment are done with breaks between them, which can last from several days to several weeks, so that the body can recover before the next course. In these intervals between courses, healthy cells are completely restored. Thus, the patient may have an infusion on the first day and then three weeks to recover before the next treatment. Each three-week period is one course of treatment. Several courses make up one cycle of chemotherapy. The cycle usually lasts three months or more.
There are different time intervals between courses of treatment. Consult your doctor to find out which is the best option for you.
How is chemotherapy administered?
Intravenous chemotherapy. Most chemotherapeutics are injected intravenously. The duration of the course of treatment can take from a few minutes to several hours.
Some medicines are taken for a few days or weeks. They are usually delivered to the body through a small pump that the patient carries with them. This is called long-term infusion chemotherapy.
Oral chemotherapy. Some medicines can be taken orally, in the form of a pill, capsule or liquid. This means that this medicine can also be taken at home. Many of the targeted drugs are delivered to the body in this way, some are taken daily and others on a schedule, such as four weeks of intake, followed by a two-week break.
Injectable chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can be given by injection into a muscle or subcutaneously in the arm, leg or abdomen.
Artery chemotherapy. An artery is a blood vessel that transports blood from the heart to other parts of the body. Sometimes chemotherapy is injected into an artery that leads directly to the tumor area. This is called intra-arterial chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy in the peritoneum or abdomen. Chemotherapeutics should be placed directly in the abdomen. This type of therapy is done for cancer that also affects the peritoneum. The peritoneum is the inner surface of the abdomen, covering the intestines, liver and stomach. One of the types of cancer that often spreads (metastasizes) in this area is ovarian cancer.
Other drugs for the treatment of cancer
Traditional drugs used for chemotherapy are an important part of the treatment of many cancers. They affect both cancer cells and healthy cells. The action of newer (targeted) drugs is aimed primarily at the destruction of tumor cells. However, various side effects occur. Doctors sometimes use targeted drugs as the only treatment for cancer. Sometimes the treatment plan consists only of targeted drugs, but they are often used in combination with traditional chemotherapy.