Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy

  • Antineoplastic therapy
    • Use of chemicals given as a systemic therapy for cancer
    • Mainstay for most solid tumors and hematologic cancers
    • Can offer cure, control, or palliative care
      • Cure
        • Burkitt’s lymphoma
        • Wilms’ tumor
        • Neuroblastoma
        • Acute lymphocytic leukemia
        • Hodgkin’s lymphoma
        • Testicular cancer
      • Control
        • Breast cancer
        • Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
        • Small cell lung cancer
        • Ovarian cancer
      • Palliation
        • Relieve pain
        • Relieve obstruction
        • Improve the sense of well-being
  • Effect on cells
    • Effective against dividing cells, so cancer cells escape death by staying in G0 phase (resting phase)
    • Problem: Presence of drug-resistant resting and non-cycling cells
    • As tumors get bigger, more cells become inactive and convert to G0
    • Chemotherapy agents cannot distinguish between normal and
      cancer cells
    • Side effects are result of destruction of normal cells

Share:

More Posts

Managing High Blood Pressure

For Everyone KEY POINTS Measuring your blood pressure is an important step toward controlling high blood pressure. If you have diabetes, you may also have

Facts About TBI

For Everyone KEY POINTS A TBI affects how the brain works. TBI is a major cause of death and disability. TBIs may be missed in