Last Updated on April 12, 2024 by Partha Protim Choudhury
Chemotherapy is a medical intervention that employs medicines to either kill or inhibit the growth of cancer cells in order to stop their spread. Depending on the type and stage of the cancer, healthcare providers may administer the medication orally, through injection, or via infusion, or apply it topically to the skin. It can be highly effective in shrinking tumors, controlling the spread of cancer, and even curing the disease. In these cases, effectiveness of chemotherapy can result in improved survival rates and quality of life.
What is chemotherapy, and how does it work?
Chemotherapy is a pharmaceutical treatment that targets rapidly proliferating cells in your body with potent chemicals. Since cancer cells grow and multiply considerably more quickly than most other cells in the body, they are the most popular way to treat cancer. A wide range of cancers can be treated using chemotherapy medications, either alone or in combination.
Chemotherapy works by suppressing the immune system or targeting rapidly dividing cells, which can be beneficial in treating these non-cancerous conditions by reducing inflammation or suppressing abnormal immune responses. However, the use of chemotherapy for non-cancerous conditions is less common and typically involves different drugs or treatment regimens compared to cancer chemotherapy.
The effectiveness of chemotherapy can vary depending on several factors, including the type of cancer being treated, the stage of the cancer, the specific chemotherapy drugs used, the individual’s overall health, and how well they tolerate the treatment.
What are the signs that chemotherapy is working?
Doctors prescribe chemotherapy to treat many types of cancer. However, everyone responds differently to chemotherapy, depending on the type and stage of the cancer. To determine whether chemotherapy should continue, doctors must evaluate the treatment’s effectiveness. An improvement in cancer symptoms, such as less pain, reduced lymph node swelling, and improved energy levels, might be noticeable. The degree to which you tolerate the first and subsequent chemotherapy treatments will also determine how many sessions you need.
A physical examination by your physician will determine whether any lumps or palpable lymph nodes have decreased in size. Physicians use MRIs, CT scans, and blood tests to evaluate the effectiveness of chemotherapy. A physician could categorise the chemo response as stable, partial, complete, or progressing the disease.
Is chemotherapy beneficial in cancer treatment?
Chemotherapy offers several benefits in the treatment of cancer, like shrinking tumours. This is particularly important in cases where tumours are causing pain or obstructing organs or bodily functions. It can help slow down the progression of the cancer cells in incurable cancer cases, allowing patients to live longer. It can be curative, meaning it can eliminate cancer cells from the body and lead to long-term remission or even a complete cure. In some cases, chemotherapy comes prior to surgery or radiation therapy to shrink tumours and make them more operable. This approach can improve surgical outcomes and increase the likelihood of successful treatment.
Often, chemotherapy is in use as adjuvant therapy after surgery or radiation therapy to kill any remaining cancer cells. This is to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence. Doctors utilize this to treat metastatic cancer, which is cancer that has spread to other parts of the body from its original site. While metastatic cancer cannot typically be cured, chemotherapy can help control the disease and alleviate symptoms. For patients with advanced or terminal cancer, chemotherapy can provide palliative care by relieving symptoms such as pain, nausea, and difficulty breathing and improving overall quality of life.
Advances in chemotherapy drugs and treatment regimens continue to improve outcomes and reduce side effects. Thus, making it an increasingly effective option for many cancer patients. Overall, the effectiveness of chemotherapy varies from person to person and depends on many factors. It’s important for individuals undergoing chemotherapy to work closely with their healthcare team to understand the potential benefits and risks of treatment and to receive appropriate supportive care to manage side effects and optimise outcomes.
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