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Chemotherapy is a form of systemic cancer treatment. This means that this type of therapy affects the whole body, getting into the bloodstream.
Chemotherapy - this is a very effective method of treating tumors, as these chemotherapy drugs have a greater impact is on the fast-moving cells, which is characteristic of cancer. However, this fact affects other cells, characterized by rapid growth and development: the cells lining the digestive tract (oral cavity, stomach, and intestines), hair follicles and cells of the hematopoietic system. This explains the side effects of chemotherapy.
The purpose of chemotherapy, as well as other types of systemic therapy - exposure to all the cancer cells that exist in the body. This distinguishes it from the methods of local influence (e.g., radiotherapy), in which the effect is to a certain area of the body.
Side effects of chemotherapy for breast cancer - one of the unpleasant things of chemotherapy, but they can be controlled and mitigated through medication.
It is very important to understand that chemotherapy in each case may vary, so do not be surprised if the one patient chemotherapy alone, and you are very different. It depends on many factors, such as the degree of involvement in the lymph nodes, tumor size, hormonal status of the tumor, degree of differentiation and expression of the oncogene.
So, you have with your physician to find the most optimal chemotherapy regimen. And you are ready to begin treatment. But you still left so many questions!
What to expect from treatment? How long will a course of chemotherapy? Can I be treated at home? What could be side effects? Deteriorate if they are over time? Can I still work? What if I live alone? Can I travel? Someday it will end? All these questions can and should ask a doctor and medical staff.
Let's delve into the biology of cells - cytology. Cells in our body are constantly divided. Some of them rapidly and every day, and some more slowly. But in any case, this process of division and cell growth is under strict control. In contrast, cancer cells divide and grow rapidly and uncontrollably - the main difference between the tumor cells from healthy cells.
Chemotherapy drugs stop the growth and multiplication of cancer cells, thereby killing them. However, you may ask - and how the influence of chemotherapy on healthy cells? Yes, these cells also to some extent respond to it, but not all, but only those that are growing rapidly (which we have already mentioned). However, chemotherapy drugs are best for those cells that divide and grow very quickly - and that is the cancer cells. Therefore, chemotherapy is very effective especially in the ratio of cancer cells.
Chemotherapy - one of the important stages of complex treatment of breast cancer, and not only this type of tumor. It can be used before surgery to reduce tumor size, and after it, to prevent recurrence and metastasis.
The use of chemotherapy after surgery is important - prevention of recurrence of the tumor. The fact that no date and accurate technique has still not able to identify individual clusters of tumor cells, separated from the primary tumor. These cells can be in any area of the body. Therefore, chemotherapy drugs, acting destructively on these cells, significantly reduce the risk of tumor recurrence.
Chemotherapy is carried out in cycles. Cycle of chemotherapy - this time, during which you receive chemotherapy. The required number of such cycles is a full course of chemotherapy. Depending on what chemotherapy drugs you receive, this course may consist of 4 to 7 cycles.
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