The use of chemotherapy in oncology: effectiveness, when prescribed, how it goes
Along with surgery and radiation therapy, chemotherapy is one of the three main ways to fight malignant neoplasms. In most cases, it is used as an adjunct to an operation, but it can also be used as the main method.
Chemotherapy is based on the use of drugs that can suppress the growth or cause death of tumor cells. As a rule, such drugs do not act selectively - all rapidly dividing cells of the body fall under their sight. For this reason, severe side effects often occur, due to the risk of developing which the doctor must take an extremely balanced approach to the preparation of the regimen and the selection of doses of the drug. Only after assessing the balance of risk and benefit, the oncologist makes a decision on the appropriateness of chemotherapy.
When is she appointed?
The oncologist makes the decision to start chemotherapy on the basis of the clinical picture of the disease. In particular, it takes into account:
- the number of tumor nodes;
- their sizes;
- precise localization;
- the results of the puncture of the "sentinel" lymph nodes, if it was performed;
- age, well-being of the patient and the presence of concomitant diseases;
- the presence of contraindications to general anesthesia or surgery.
If the tumor has reached an impressive size, treatment with cytostatics will be carried out in order to reduce the size (area) of the tumor focus and thereby reduce the scale of the operation. This chemotherapy is called neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
If nothing prevents surgical intervention, but there is a high risk that in the future foci of secondary tumor growth (metastases) are formed, therapy begins immediately after healing operating wounds. In this case, it will be called adjuvant.
As the main method of treatment chemotherapy for oncology it is used in cases where there are compelling contraindications for the operation. It may be old age or a serious condition of the patient, the presence of serious pathologies of the respiratory, cardiovascular blood coagulation systems or systems, as well as hard-to-reach localization of a neoplasm or a large number of tumor nodes.
How is the treatment going?
Like other drugs, cytostatics can be taken orally (in the form of tablets, capsules, and other oral forms) or given intravenously. Intravenous administration of drugs is often used, since this way ensures their better absorption.
There are various schemes, or protocols, for taking chemotherapy drugs. They are developed on the basis of many years of experience of doctors. In some cases, medications are taken for several days in a row, followed by a long break, in other cases, the course of admission lasts for weeks, etc. The period of taking medication is called cycle.
To achieve a result, with some pathologies, more cycles are needed, with others, less. On average, the course of adjuvant therapy lasts from four to six months (sometimes a year or more). But the specific duration is determined by the response of the body.
In order to successfully carry out the entire course of treatment, doctors prescribe additional medications, with the help of which the severity of side effects is reduced. They constantly monitor the patient's condition by blood tests, urine tests, and examination results.
With a competent approach, the likelihood of obtaining the desired result becomes very high, therefore, it is better to undergo chemotherapy under the supervision of experienced doctors. You can get their advice and choose a clinic for treatment through the Center for Comprehensive Medicine. He represents the leading medical institutions in the country, making their services more accessible to the population.
