What is Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of chemicals and drugs to kill cancer cells. It works by destroying the rapidly dividing cancer cells. The use of drugs will vary depending upon the nature and stage of advancement of the disease. It is generally given in cycles – a treatment period followed by a recovery period and so on. Generally the patient need not stay at the hospital for chemotherapy. He/she can have the treatment at the hospital’s outpatient department or at the doctor’s office or even at home.
In chemotherapy the drugs flow through the blood to the entire body. The drugs and chemicals are injected in a vein or some muscle. Sometimes they are administered orally. In some cases (where the patient requires many doses of chemotherapy), the drugs may be administered through a catheter, which is placed in some large vein in the chest. Though in some cases chemotherapy is very effective for the treatment of cancer, it has a number of side effects. The chemotherapy drugs poison the whole body. These drugs affect
the cells that divide rapidly such as the blood cells, nails, hair, stomach lining cells etc. As the blood cells are affected by these drugs, the patients are likely to get infections easily, may bleed excessively, and may have less energy and may get depressed.
As the cells lining the digestive tract are affected, the patient may have side effects such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, mouth sores etc. Another major side effect of chemotherapy is hair loss. Some drugs may cause just thinning of hair whereas some may cause the loss of entire body hair. It may also result in loss of fertility in some patients.
To reduce the side effects of chemotherapy, the patients may follow the following steps:
(a) You should take sufficient vitamins and mineral supplements to fight the side effects of chemotherapy. You must consume foods rich in iron as this will help to increase the blood count. You should take vitamins E,C, antioxidants like beta-carotene,lycopene and minerals such as zinc, selenium etc.
(b) Instead of having large mills, try to eat small amounts of nutritional food regularly.
(c) Drink at least three litres of water daily.
(d) Try to avoid fatty and spicy foods.
(e) Avoid all types of alcohol.
(f) With the prior permission of your doctor, you may consult an alternative medicine practitioner who may help you to reduce the side effects by using herbal medicines, yoga etc.