An account on cancer radio therapy and chemotherapy
- Cancer and its treatments: Human bodies are composed of millions of cells and tissues in which some cells are considered normal and healthy and through the production and reproduction of such cells, our bodies pass through the stages of growth, development and maturity. But when abnormal cells start dividing on their own in massive extent and eventually surpass the healthy cells and tissues then a person is supposed to be considered as suffering from cancer in which the cancerous cells of the body get spread in various parts of the body through lymph and blood circulation. Chemotherapy, cancer radiotherapy, transplantation, surgery are considered as most effective treatment methods that are widely practiced.
- Chemotherapy: When several drugs and medicines are used to demolish the cancerous cells in order to treat a patient then the process is called chemotherapy. Different types of chemotherapy treatments are used by the specialists and oncologists all over the world. Alkylation of the agents is the most promising type of chemotherapy that is applied to the patients who are diagnosed with initial cancer symptoms. Plant alkaloids are another significant method in which the drugs that are used in the chemotherapy process are derived from different types of plants and herbs. Apart from these major two chemotherapy processes antimetabolites, antineoplastics are also known among the specialists as highly effective methods of chemo treatments. On the other hand cancer radiotherapy process is a bit different from what is followed in chemotherapy. In chemotherapy process a patient is generally given a shot of dose through injection in any part of his or her body though in some cases oral pills and medicines are also provided. Another less common chemotherapy process includes massage of medicated creams on certain parts of the patient’s body.
- Side effects of chemotherapy: In terms of side effects cancer radiotherapy is considered as more dangerous than chemotherapy but there are certain consequences of chemotherapy too. Anemia is considered one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy treatment. Moreover, loss of appetite, menstruation problems are also observed in patients having chemotherapy on a regular basis. Some patients also complain about having different types of stomach problems also in which severe constipation and diarrhea are the common ones. But fatigue, severe nausea, skin infection, hair loss are the common side effects that are faced also by the patients who are being treated with cancer radiotherapy instead of chemo.
- Cancer radiotherapy: when the cancerous cells are damaged along with its root with the use of high energy efficient rays then the treatment process is known as cancer radiotherapy. In this process the recurrence of cancerous cells are considerably reduced and it generally cause less ham to the nearby healthy cells of the body. Cancer radiotherapy is the most effective treatment strategy when a person is diagnosed from breast cancer. Moreover in cases of large cancer with high grade damages, in cases of largely affected lymph nodes this treatment is mostly used. Different types of cancer radiotherapy process are being practiced on patients with divergent cancers. But among them internal radiation, intra- operative radiation, and external radiation are the most common types of radiation processes.
- Side effects of cancer radiotherapy: cancer radiotherapy treatment process is not freed from producing a number of side effects in which loss of appetite is the most common consequence that is faced by a large number of patients of cancer all over the world. Then developing different types of skin problems, skin sores, itching are faced by those who undergo the sessions of external cancer radiotherapy. On the other hand face, mouth, chest problems, nausea, different kinds of dental troubles is experienced by those who are treated with internal cancer radiation therapy.
- Planning of cancer radiotherapy: cancer radiotherapy is such a process in which the specialist must make certain planning before the actual treatment. In order to turn the cancer radiotherapy into a complete success a clinical oncologist must check the patient a number of times beforehand and get completely aware about the condition of his or her body. On the day of the therapy the oncologist must make the patient comfortable not only physically but also a bit psychologically too. In a well furnished radiation centre a patient is made lie down on a bed and the clinical oncologist start the treatment process from a room next to the patient’s. CT scans are highly prescribed by the specialists for every cancer patients during the planning period.