Diagnostics

What Is Chemotherapy? What Are The Side Effects Of Chemotherapy?

is called continuous infusion, protracted venous infusion, or ambulant infusion (meaning the patient can walk about while receiving the medication). There are different ways of getting the medication into the patient. These include: *A cannula - a thin tube is inserted through the skin into the vein - usually it enters the body via the back of the hand or the lower arm. *A drip (intravenous infusion) - in order to dilute the medication it may be injected into a bag. The solution in the bag will pass through a tube into the patients arm and into a vein (intravenous infusion). A cannula will be used. The solution will enter the vein slowly. Chemotherapy through a drip generally is pushed through with a pump. The pump does not hurry the process up, rather it makes sure the solution enters the vein at a constant rate over a specific period - the slower the rate, the longer the whole thing will take. *A central line - this is a long, flexible, plastic line (thin tube) which ends up in a central blood vessel in the chest, close to the heart. The central line usually enters the body through the center of the chest and goes up under the skin into a large vein by the collarbone (clavicle). The only visible part is the length of line that hangs out of the small entry hole in the chest. *A peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line - a long, thin, flexible tube that is inserted into a peripheral vein, usually in the upper arm and makes its way into a large vein in the chest near the heart. It is similar to a central line but has a different point of entry. *A portacath (implantable port) - a thin, soft, flexible plastic tube goes into a vein. It has a port (opening) just under the skin of the chest or arm. The port has a thin rubber disc which special needles can pass medicines into, or take blood from. Pregnancy and contraception Many chemotherapy drugs may cause birth defects. It is important that a woman undergoing chemotherapy avoids becoming pregnant. As most chemotherapy medications interfere with oral contraceptives it is important to use a barrier method of contraception, such as condoms, during the whole chemotherapy treatment period and for a year after treatment is completed. If you are pregnant you need to tell the medical team straight away beforehand. If you become pregnant during treatment tell the medical team straight away. What are the side effects of chemotherapy? Most people immediately link chemotherapy with uncomfortable side effects. However, side-effect management has improved considerably over the last twenty years. Many side effects that were once inevitable can be either prevented or well controlled today. There is no reliable way to predict how patients may react to chemotherapy. Some experience very mild side-effect, others will have none at all, while some people will report various symptoms. Depending on the type of cancer and treatment, chemotherapy may have a bigger impact on the patient"s work status than radiotherapy. Women with breast cancer who receive chemotherapy appear more likely than those treated with radiation therapy to experience a major change in work status, according to researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Below is a list of the most commonly reported side effects: Nausea and vomiting Over half of all patients receiving chemotherapy will experience nausea and vomiting. Doctors will usually prescribe anti-emetics for this. These need to be taken even when symptoms have gone as they will prevent them from coming back. If the anti-emetics do not work the patient should contact his/her doctor who may switch to another anti-emetic. Ginger - scientists at the Rochester University Medical Center found that taking ginger supplements with standard anti-vomiting drugs beforehand can reduce the nausea that often accompanies chemotherapy treatment by 40%. Alopecia (Hair loss) Some chemotherapy medications cause hair loss while others don"t. If hair does start to fall out this will usually happen a few weeks after treatment starts. On some occasions the hair will just become thinner and more brittle (without falling out). Hair loss can occur in any part of the body. Although hair loss has no physical health consequences, it may cause distress and embarrassment for some people. The psychological impact tends to be greater among women than men. If you experience hair loss and find it is causing distress and embarrassment, there are several steps you can take: *Tell your doctor, who may refer you to a counselor who can provide effective help and support. *Many people find that if they purchase a wig their quality of life improves significantly. *If there is a cancer support group in your area, go to their meetings. Meeting people who share similar experiences to yourself may help give you a boost, as well as providing you with some useful tips, and possibly an opportunity to make new friends. *Cold cap - this looks a bit like a bicycle helmet and keeps the scalp cool while the chemotherapy dose is being administered. If the scalp can be kept cool less chemotherapy medication reaches the scalp, thus preventing the occurrence or reducing the severity of hair loss. Some people cannot wear a cold cap - leukemia (blood cancer) patients need the medication to reach their scalp. The hair loss is NOT permanent - it will grow back soon after treatment if finished. Fatigue Most patients receiving chemotherapy will experience some degree of fatigue. This may be a general feeling which exists most of the day, or may only appear after certain activities. Doctors say patients need to make sure they get plenty of rest and not to perform tasks which are overtiring. While light exercise has been shown to help, it is important to remember to keep the activities "light". If the tiredness becomes severe it is important to tell the doctor, as this could be caused by a significant drop in red blood cells (anemia). Hearing impairment (deafness, ototoxicity) Scientists from Oregon Health & Science University reported that deafness as a side effect of chemotherapy has long been underreported by the medical community, because a well-known classification system doctors use for reporting toxicities in patients does not consider high-frequency hearing loss, allowing the magnitude of ototoxicity (hearing damage) in children treated with platinum agents to be miscalculated. Children with cancer who suffer hearing loss due to the toxic effects of chemotherapy might one day be able to get their hearing back through pharmacological and gene therapy, said researchers from St. Jude Children"s Research Hospital after carrying out a study on mice. Neutropenia (low white blood cells) - Susceptibility to infections When receiving chemotherapy the immune system will be weakened because the white blood cell count will go down. White blood cells form part of our immune system - they fight infection. Consequently, patients become more susceptible to infections. Some patients will be prescribed antibiotics which may reduce their risk of developing infections. The following precautions will help reduce the risk of infections: *Personal hygiene - the cleaner you are, the fewer bacteria there will be around which can infect you. Regularly wash your hands with warm water and soap, have a bath/shower at least once a day, change your clothes and bathroom towels and flannels daily. Change your bed linen regularly. *Preparing food - make sure your food is free of food borne pathogens (organisms, such as bacteria that can make you ill). If you handle raw meat make sure you wash your hands before touching plates and cutlery or work surfaces. Thoroughly cook animal d proteins before eating them. Wash your dishes thoroughly and always use a clean plate and cutlery - keep the kitchen clean. *Infected people - stay away from people who are ill. This may include those who just have a temperature. *Skin wounds - bacteria find it hard to get in through your skin, unless there is a cut. If you graze or cut your skin, clean the area well with warm water, dry it, and cover it with a sterile dressing. Patients receiving chemotherapy who develop an infection need immediate treatment. This may mean being hospitalized and receiving antibiotics via an intravenous drip. Thrombocytopenia (low blood platelet count) - Blood clotting problems Chemotherapy may lower the patient"s blood platelet count. A platelet is a type of blood cell that helps the blood to clot (coagulate). Coagulation is essential, otherwise bleeding does not stop. Lower blood platelet counts linked to chemotherapy is a risk, but less so than lower red or white blood cell counts. If you are affected you will bruise more easily, you will be more likely to have nosebleeds and bleeding gums, and if you cut yourself it may be harder to stop the bleeding. Patient"s whose blood platelet counts fall too low will need a blood transfusion. Below are some steps you may wish to take to reduce your risk of bleeding: *Shave with an electric razor (or don"t shave) *Avoid hard toothbrushes *Use kitchen utensils and gardening equipment carefully *If you are gardening, wear gloves Anemia (low red blood-cell count) As well as lowering you white blood cell count, chemotherapy will also lower your red blood cell count. Tissues and organs inside your body get their oxygen from the red blood cells. If your red blood cell count goes down too many parts of your body will not get enough oxygen and you will develop anemia. People with anemia feel very tired. A patient on chemotherapy who has anemia will feel extra tired - much more tired than straightforward fatigue caused by the treatment. Dyspnea (shortness of breath) is also another symptom of anemia, as are palpitations (when the heart beat is irregular). Anemia linked to chemotherapy requires immediate treatment. A blood transfusion will bring the red blood cell count back up immediately.

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