Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is known as the universal phrase of any chemical treatment to stop cancer. It is known as a systemic treatment because it destroys cells far from the effected area. Unfortunately, chemotherapy also destroys good quality cells in the body.  It is always imperative to know your complete blood count, because the good blood cells are usually the main cells destroyed by the chemotherapy.  Neutropenia is the process of chemotherapy lowering the white blood cell count.  When the red blood cells are lowered this is known as anemia.  The platelets can also be lowered by chemotherapy, which is known as thrombocytopenia.  Chemotherapy is used for treatment in over half of the patients diagnosed with cancer.  

Each drug kills cancer cells at different rates, because the drugs work in dissimilar ways.  Because of the way in which the different drugs work, chemotherapy can be successful at certain times.  That is why it is so important to stay on the treatment the way it is meant to be dispersed.   Chemotherapy pills or injections are treatments that can be administered at home.  Other treatments that are normally administered in a clinic or hospital are known as intravenous infusion, best known as IV.  One treatment that is shot into the fluid neighboring the spinal cord or the brain is intrathecal or intraventricular injections.  

Because chemotherapy affects parts of body not touched by cancer, it is considered a complication or side effect.  Side effects include, but are not limited to hair loss, mouth sores, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, pain, and of course, the blood related complications.  The side effects can be short term, long term, permanent, or in some cases they can even lead to death.  Because of these side affects, chemotherapy may be interrupted or stopped completely.