Cancer Chemotherapy – advantages and disadvantages

Chemotherapy is one such tool, to fight back with the hazardous disease of long time that has not spared lives, called “cancer”. Chemotherapy(derived from chemo) is a therapy which destroys the cells in the body, more specifically cancer cells. However, chemotherapy is also driven by the usage of certain medications and antibiotics as well. Cancer is a class of disease followed by out of control cell growth. The class of cancer is also determined, as there are more than 100 types of cancer, by the type of cell generating in the body. The professionals when talk about chemotherapy, the medication they provide iscytotoxic medication, which prevents cancer cells to divide and grow.

The cancer cells grow and divide in the body, therefore chemotherapy is one solution which provides complete cell growth. However, complete cell growth is lead by the healthy cells which are destroyed too along with the cancer cells. Therefore, chemotherapy is pursued in months, weeks and days such that proper time is given to the healthy cells to grow and so the body does not suffer the major consequences under execution.

Chemotherapy is often used alongside with other treatments. The patients who are capable of exercising need to pursue some exercises after chemotherapy to get better results. It is generally encouraged by doctors. Studies have shown that people performing exercises just after chemotherapy has more chances to achieve good results than people who are physically incapable. The physical exercise undertaken on regular routine also prevents the risk of secondary cancer among survivors. The regular exercise may even decrease the tremendous growth of cancer cells in the body.

Objectives of chemotherapy

•  Total remission- chemotherapy alone can be undertaken in order to prevent the growth of the cancer cells. It is also called monotherapy.

• Combination therapies: chemotherapy is performed along with other therapies such as radio therapies, in order to treat the growth of cancer cells.
• Slowdown progression: this treatment basically comes under action when the cancer is in final stage, in the advancement stage, the growth of cells are maximum and so can be treated well. Therefore, slowdown the cancer action to get rigorous.
• Prevention: chemotherapy when performed, is basically executed after the tumour is removed from the body.

Working of chemotherapy on the patient

The cells in our body grow and develop in an orderly manner, they do not undergo non calculative multiplication and generate in the required fashion. However, cancer cells in the body, develops in a non-orderly manner, divides rigorously and initiate high growth. These cancer cells, at one time, can even push back the useful cells in the body, and so the body is surrendered with active cancer cells. Cancer cells start occupying more space in the body and thereby, leads to division and growth.

The chemo drugs directly affects the cancer cells in the body prohibiting the same to divide and multiply, the chemotherapy can be introduced in the patient’s body either directly at the cancer site or injected into the blood. The medication stops the growth or destroys the active body cells and the targeted cancer cells.

The course of chemotherapy depend upon the patients advancement stage. It can be a one day treatment or may last for several weeks. A proper therapy plan is provided by the doctors, mentioning the duration and no. of sessions. The therapy is a one day treatment followed by a week’s rest(the body’s active cells to grow), or a day treatment with three weeks of rest, it is a repetitive procedure.