Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells in
your body. It can be used both before and after surgery and is
sometimes given at the same time as radiotherapy. Because cancer
cells can break away from the main tumour, circulate round the body
and start forming a secondary cancer somewhere else, doctors often
recommend chemotherapy to give you the best chance of eliminating
all these cancer cells.
Chemotherapy is normally given as a course of treatment lasting
several months. In many cases, chemotherapy will be given on
certain days with a gap before it is restarted. This allows your
body to recover between the doses.
You should discuss with your doctor how long the course will be
and whether it can be adjusted - or example, if you have particular
commitments on fixed dates.
Your doctors will recommend a drug or sometimes a mix of drugs
for you, taking into account your type of cancer, how advanced it
is and your general health. The chemotherapy drug will be mixed
specially for you and will be given either intravenously, as an
injection or as pills or capsules.
Before your treatment starts you are likely to have a number of
tests, including blood tests and specialist ones looking at liver
and kidney function. This is to give your doctors a baseline so
they can see how the chemotherapy is affecting your body. These
tests may be repeated several times during your course of
treatment.
Most chemotherapy will be given as a day case in hospital. You
should expect to be at the hospital for some hours and might want
to bring a book! The treatment itself should be comfortable and you
will be well looked after. Usually you are able to go home on the
same day but occasionally chemotherapy can require an overnight or
longer stay in hospital. Your doctor will discuss this with you in
advance. In some cases, we may be able to deliver ongoing
chemotherapy treatment in your home.
Very occasionally your treatment may have to be delayed because
blood or other tests indicate you are not ready to receive another
dose. Normally you would be asked to come back a few days later so
you can be retested and the chemotherapy restarted.
You have probably heard a great deal about the side-effects of
chemotherapy. While many people do suffer side-effects, these are
often mild and can usually be controlled. Your doctors and nurses
will always discuss the potential side-effects with you and will
help you to cope with them.
Side-effects can include:
- nausea and sickness
- tiredness
- soreness in your mouth and a change in your sense of taste
- increased vulnerability to infection due to the effect of the
chemotherapy on your bone marrow
- hair loss
- skin changes
- changes to the liver, kidney, heart and lung function - but
your doctors are likely to be monitoring these very carefully.
Contact us
Ramsay hospitals offers a range of screening and diagnostic
procedures at a time convenient to you, and also offers treatment
for some of the most common types of cancer. We offer the support
of multi-disciplinary teams who will be working together to ensure
you get the care which is right for you.
If you would like to discuss possible tests or treatment
contact
us.