Chemotherapy
and Mesothelioma
Chemotherapy
uses anticancer drugs to eliminate cancer cells. There are roughly
50 different drugs that are used independently or in combination
to treat cancer. Many of these drugs are effective in treating
mesothelioma. Chemotherapy may be used alone or in conjunction
with surgery and radiotherapy.
How
does it work?
Chemotherapy
drugs interfere with cancer cells' ability to divide and reproduce.
Instead, the cells become damaged and die. Because chemotherapy
drugs flow through the blood stream, they reach cancer cells
all over the body. These drugs are also toxic to healthy tissues,
so chemotherapy must be planned so that it slowly kills the
cancer and not normal cells. Following chemotherapy, the normal
tissue will recover, but the cancerous cells will not.
Chemotherapy
drugs are given in many different ways. The manner in which
you may receive treatment will vary according to your type of
cancer and the drugs you are taking. The most common method
of delivery is by injection into a vein. Less commonly used
methods include oral tablets, muscular injection, or subcutaneous
(under the skin) injection.
Intravenous
injection
In
intravenous injection, the drugs are often diluted with liquid
and delivered from a bag via a 'drip' into a vein in your arm
or hand. Another method of delivery is to insert a plastic tube
directly into a vein in the chest. Two potential problems with
the intravenous method are the risk of tube blockage and infection.
The plastic delivery tube should be flushed with Heparin, a
drug that prevents clotting about once a week. You will be able
to do this yourself. Intravenous chemotherapy is given over
a period of time, usually ranging from half an hour to a few
hours, or sometimes a few days.
Infusion
pumps
A fairly new and increasingly common method
of delivery is the infusion pump. The pumps are portable and
are used to deliver a controlled amount of drugs into the bloodstream
over a period of time. This means that you may take treatment
at home and make fewer trips to the hospital.
Side
effects
Even though chemotherapy can cause unpleasant side effects,
some people still manage to lead normal lives. Sometimes chemotherapy
can actually make you feel better by alleviating the effects
of the cancer. Unfortunately, the drugs can affect normal cells
as well as cancerous tissues. This can cause many unpleasant
side effects. Not all chemotherapy drugs cause the same side
effects, however, and some people may have very few. Cancer
treatments produce different reactions in different people.
Reactions also vary from treatment to treatment. It should be
remembered that nearly all side effects are only temporary and
will disappear once treatment has stopped.
Body
parts that may be affected by chemotherapy are those whose normal
cells rapidly divide and grow. These areas are the mouth, digestive
system, skin, hair, and bone marrow.
If
you want to know more about the side effects that may be caused
by your chemotherapy treatment, ask your doctor. Although the
side effects of chemotherapy can be severe, they should be weighed
against the benefit they can produce. Remember, if you are feeling
violently ill, your doctor may be able to prescribe other drugs
with fewer or less potent side effects.
The
following are some common side effects of chemotherapy.
Hair
loss
Hair
loss is perhaps the best-known side effect of chemotherapy.
This can vary according to which medication you happen to be
taking. Some people lose very little or no hair, others most
or all of it. If you happen to lose your hair during chemotherapy,
it will grow back after treatment has subsided.
Your
digestive system
Feelings
of sickness are a side effect linked with some chemotherapy.
Many people do not become sick from their chemotherapy, nor
does every drug cause it. There are now some treatments available
to alleviate this sickness. Steroids and other anti-sickness
drugs are often given. Some chemotherapy drugs can affect the
lining of the digestive system and this may cause diarrhea for
a few days. Some people may lose their appetite. Medical marijuana
can help restore your appetite and relieve pain.
Bone
marrow
Bone
marrow contains cells that develop into three different types
of cells. The three types are white blood cells, red blood cells,
and platelets. Chemotherapy can reduce the number of these cells.
When the number of these cells is reduced, the body's ability
to recover from illness and repair itself is greatly hindered.
| |
Ø |
White
Blood Cells
- If the number of white blood cells
in your blood is low you will be more prone to infection
as there are fewer white cells to fight off bacteria |
| |
Ø |
Red
Blood Cells - If
the level of red blood cells in your blood is low you may
become very tired and lethargic |
| |
Ø |
Platelets
- If the number of platelets in your
blood is low you may bruise very easily and suffer from
nosebleeds or bleed heavily from even minor cuts or grazes. |
Fertility
Chemotherapy
can cause infertility in both men and women. This infertility
may be temporary or permanent, depending on the drugs you are
taking. It is important to discuss this risk with your doctor
before starting a treatment.
It
is quite possible for a woman undergoing chemotherapy, or the
female partner of a man undergoing therapy, to become pregnant.
This should be avoided, as the drugs may affect the baby. It
is imperative that patients use appropriate birth control to
avoid any complications during treatment.
For
women
Most
drugs will not affect your fertility, but some may temporarily
stop ovulation. Some drugs will induce an artificial menopause.
Many doctors will prescribe hormones to alleviate the effects
of this.
For
men
Most
drugs will not affect your fertility. Those that do affect it
will do so by reducing the amount of sperm you produce, the
motility of the sperm, as well as sperm morphology. This means
that fathering children during treatment is unlikely. You will,
however, be able to achieve erection and orgasm normally.
As
always, the best advice regarding chemotherapy and how it can
help you is available from your doctor. Each case is unique
and must be treated on an individual basis.
|
