Chemotherapy


There are several administering methods for chemotherapy. You might receive the drug intravenously in your arm or hand, or through a catheter, which is a thin tube placed into a large vein. This is also known as a port, which is surgically placed under the skin and will remain there until you have completed chemotherapy and your physician feels that it is safe to remove. You can also receive some forms of chemotherapy in the form of a pill, capsule or liquid form. It can also be administered into a muscle, under the skin, directly at the cancer site or topically, on top of, the skin.

Chemotherapy treatments do not hurt. Sometimes, if administered through an IV or catheter, you might feel a coolness or unusual sensation. I would say the only pain that might be caused during a treatment would be the insertion of the needle.

Some medications may interfere with chemotherapy. Please contact your physician before taking any medication. Your physician will give you a list of drugs that could cause interactions.

SIDE EFFECTS

In my opinion, side effects are the worse you have to deal with when it comes to chemotherapy and/or radiation. But, isn't it worth it? Not all drugs cause the same side effects and not all people are bothered by them. This is just another part of chemotherapy where you say it depends on the person, the drug and the type.

Your physician will give you a list of possibly side effects that the drug(s) you are taking could cause. Here are some of the main side effects that affect people.

 Nausea and Vomiting

 Fatigue/Anemia

 Hair Loss

 Infections (due to white blood cell count dropping)

 Blood clotting

 Mouth/Gum/Throat Problems

 Diarrhea

 Constipation

Some side effects continue to last even well after the chemotherapy has ended. Continue to notify your physician of any and all side effects you are experiencing. With most side effects you can control them, either by medication prescribed by the physician or by your eating habits.

Chemotherapy is like cancer itself; there is no one set rule for one person. Since there are so many different types of cancers there will be different types of treatments. Same goes with physicians. I wish there were one set rule on how and when to treat, but unfortunately, there isn't. I wish I could be more detailed with the drugs, length of need and side effects but that is just

The copyright of the article Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer is owned by Bobbi Jones. Permission to republish Chemotherapy in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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