Chemotherapy is a powerful medical intervention designed to destroy cancer cells, curtail their spread around the body, and reduce patient discomfort.Â
But what is it, exactly? And how do we administer it at Cochise Oncology?
Chemotherapy is a name physicians give to a broad array of drugs designed to combat the growth and spread of cancer cells while preserving most of the body’s healthy tissues. Some have active ingredients that interrupt the ability of cancer cells to divide, while others destroy them directly.Â
Chemotherapy can have one of three aims:Â
Which type of chemotherapy you receive will depend on your medical situation and prognosis.Â
Because chemotherapy encompasses such a broad class of drugs, doctors at Cochise Oncology administer it in a large variety of ways. These include:Â
Again, how we administer chemotherapy will depend on your medical situation.Â
Chemotherapy is a powerful technique that offers a host of benefits. For instance, it can shut down cancer growth or even put you into remission. It can also shrink tumors sufficiently to make surgical removal possible.
Physicians often use chemotherapy as an adjunct therapy for patients after surgery. The medications treat any remaining cells, reducing the chance that cancer will come back in the future.Â
Chemotherapy is also helpful for slowing the growth of certain tumors. In this instance, it doesn’t destroy the tumors but instead prevents them from dividing as rapidly as before, improving the patient’s outlook.Â
As for pain, chemotherapy can help here too. By shrinking tumors and preventing them from releasing harmful factors into the body, many patients experience an overall reduction in discomfort. This type of chemotherapy is especially beneficial for patients in palliative care.Â
While chemotherapy offers incredible benefits for patients, it also comes with several side effects. These include:
Your choice of chemotherapy depends considerably on your medical circumstances. Things like your current state of health, the stage of your cancer, the type of cancer, and your age can all determine the course of treatment. At Cochise Oncology, we can discuss the medication options, the combinations available to you, and the side effects associated with them.
Are you ready to learn more about chemotherapy? Reach out to Cochise Oncology at (520) 803-6644 or fill out the consultation form on this page. We look forward to meeting you!
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