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Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy, or simply chemo, is the control or treatment of a disease with the use of chemical agents. It works by slowing or preventing the growth of cancer cells, which which develop and multiply rapidly.

501 Questions

The different about disinfectant to antiseptic?

A disinfectant is used to destroy microorganisms off of any surface.

An antiseptic is used to destroy microorganisms off of the skin.

So you have to take a little more care in choosing an anti-septic then a disinfectant.

Magic acid would do well as a disinfectant but would be an unwise chose for an anti-septic as it would probably kill the patient as well as any septic organisms.

AnswerI'm sure the above intended a little humour in mentioning magic acid.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE everyone except trained professionals stay away from magic acid.

Can you do chemotherapy at home?

Oral chemotherapy can be done at home; any drug you are taking by mouth to treat cancer but you will still need to see your Dr.

Define retention time?

Retention time refers to the time it takes a solute to travel through the chromatography column. It is assigned to the equivalent solute peak.

About Throat Cancer Symptoms, Causes and Treatments?

Throat cancer is a cancer that develops in the larynx (voice box) and the pharynx (throat). The pharynx also includes the base of the tonsils and tongue. When this entire area becomes cancerous, it is considered to be throat cancer.

This cancer forms on the tissue lining the mouth, larynx or pharynx, which is moist. It begins when squamous cells form on these areas. Men are more likely to get throat cancer than women. They are actually ten times more likely to develop this cancer.

There are several symptoms that may occur that could be a sign of throat cancer. However, it's always good to keep in mind that these symptoms could also be signs of other conditions and not the cancer. Since throat cancer is curable in its' early stages, it is important to see the doctor when any of these symptoms should occur. These symptoms include a chronic cough, neck swelling or pain, throat pain, a lump on the outside of the neck, sputum that may be bloody, difficulty in swallowing, and breathing that sounds abnormal. It is also possible to have screen done by a doctor or dentist who will look for red or white patches of cells or lesions that may become cancerous.

There are also several risk factors and causes of throat cancer. Some can or cannot be avoided. Being male is one of them and also being elderly is a risk factor. These are two factors that cannot be avoided. Other causes include the use of tobacco and alcohol, and contracting the HPV virus. Anyone who drinks more than socially or uses tobacco at all should consider quitting to help prevent getting throat cancer.

Anyone who develops throat cancer has the greatest chance of survival in its' early stages. The most common treatments include open surgery, transoral surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, and a new technique call da Vinci surgery which is a much less invasive surgery using advanced technology. The da Vinci surgery is used on some cases of early to moderate throat cancer and has already been successful around the world for many thousands of patients.

How To Choose The Right Cancer Treatment?

Cancer is something that affects more people each year, but fortunately the choices for treatment are broadening and becoming more reliable. There is no guaranteed right or wrong path for cancer victims. Each person has different preferences, lifestyle habits and goals. In order to choose the right personal cancer treatment option, it is important to understand the different choices. Following are a few of the most common cancer treatment options today.

Chemotherapy

This is the least desirable of all cancer treatments because of its side effects. Those who receive chemotherapy often experience nausea, vomiting and total hair loss. Chemotherapy also will cause aversions to certain foods, due in part to the nausea and vomiting. Many times this treatment will leave a person very weak; for this reason, it is recommended that only those who are strong enough to receive this treatment seek this option. Depending on the type of cancer, Chemotherapy may last a couple of weeks or several months. Cancer victims who have very aggressive cancer or cancer that has metastasized should consider this option.

Homeopathic/Natural Treatment

For those who wish to avoid chemicals and harsh medications, homeopathic and natural cancer treatments are a good option. The success rate of these options is not very promising in those who have metastasized cancer or a very aggressive form. Patients who have been given a terminal diagnosis often seek this option because it is more soothing. For cancer that is still in early stages, recent studies of homeopathic treatments have shown promising results. Several treatment facilities are found in the southwest and in Mexico for homeopathic treatment. These facilities often focus not only on a medicinal aspect, but a spiritual and mental aspect also. Beliefs in this practice reflect the idea that it is most effective to treat the entire person, not simply the cancer.

Alternative Treatment

Experimental and alternative treatments often have some of the best success rates, however they also have some of the most fatal. Some experimental drugs have proven to shorten the lives of the groups who take them. This choice is the most risky and recommended only for victims with little to no expectation of survival.

What cells are damaged most by chemotherapy treatment?

In theory it is the targeted cancerous cells. These may be in the original tumor or may have migrated away from it. But there may be some collateral damage to other more sensitive normal cells. In any case the dead or weakened cells are cleaned up by various scavenger cells in the blood and some products eliminated by organs like the liver.

How To Distinguish Between The Different Types Of Lung Cancer Treatment?

There are several different treatments available for lung cancer - and these can be used to address most types of cancers - and which specific treatment is used in which specific situation will depend on a number of factors.

Lung cancer treatments are usually divided according to their anticipated efficacy in view of factors like the stage the cancer has reached, what type of lung cancer a specific patient is suffering from and the patient’s previous record as it relates to responding to treatment options. The further along the tumor is, for instance, the less likely the patient is to respond positively to treatment - surgery, radiation or chemotherapy - and it is usually at Stage 4 that treatment is confined to palliative care designed only to ease the patient’s suffering. Lung cancers can, furthermore, be classed as either Small Cell Lung Carcinomas (SCLCs) or Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinomas (NSCLCs), and, depending on exactly which type is present, treatment could include either chemotherapy or radiation or a combination of the two.

Should the cancer be diagnosed at an early stage, the primary treatment option would be surgery. With surgery, the overall objective would be to remove all or part of the tumor and thus halt - or at least significantly delay - the spread of the cancerous cells. Other treatment options include radiation and chemotherapy, and there is also the option of adjuvant chemotherapy, which is when the patient embarks upon a chemotherapy course after the surgical removal of a tumor.

Apart from the above three main lung cancer treatments, there are also several related options. Prophylactic cranial irradiation - radiation treatment administered to the brain - is, for instance, undergone when there is a distinct danger of the lung cancer’s metastasizing to the brain. There is also the fairly new procedure known as targeted therapy, which consists of the patient’s ingesting certain targeted agents - chemical substances - which are specifically designed to inhibit the growth of the cancerous cells at the molecular level.

Lung cancer is an extremely malignant form of the disease, and, despite all available treatment options, has the highest mortality rate of all the cancers.

What is topical chemotherapy?

Topical chemotherapy is given as a cream or ointment applied directly to the cancer. This method is more common in treatment of certain types of skin cancer.

Can chemotherapy affect AST and ALT?

If the chemo affects your liver, then yes

Where can I find more information on the effects of chemotherapy?

You can visit www.cancer.org for more information on chemotherapy side effects.

How much are the out of pocket cost for chemo to treat childhood leukemia for 6 treatments in the Philippines?

I'd like to add - if a person is paying cash money for 6 chemo treatments for childhood leukemia how much would it cost? This person lives in the Philippines. Thank you and I need this info ASAP.

Rectal Cancer Treatment?

Cancer occurs when the DNA of cells in your body are altered, resulting in the unregulated abnormal growth of structures called tumors. One area that commonly sees problems with tumor growth is around the rectal tissue, commonly referred to as rectal cancer. In fact, more than an estimated 40,000 new cases of rectal cancer are diagnosed each year, according to the National Cancer Institute. When these cases occur, there are several forms of treatment available depending on the severity of the cancer.

Surgical Removal

The option of surgery to remove rectal cancer depends on how far along your cancer is, and whether it has become metastatic, spreading to other tissues of your body. With new technology available, surgery for rectal cancer can now often be done through less invasive laparoscopic surgery. While some early cases may be removed with surgery alone, it is also common to combine surgery with other forms of treatment like radiation or chemotherapy.

Radiation

Radiation therapy uses high doses of radiation to kill off cancer cells and shrink tumors of the rectal tissue. This helps prevent cancer from spreading, as well as can help reduce tumors to a size that can be more easily removed surgically. In radiation, the treatment can be highly focused to a specific area, reducing the side effects that are seen with more systemic treatments like chemotherapy. This also reduces the damage to surrounding tissues.

Chemotherapy

When cancer has spread outside of the rectal tissue, a more system-wide treatment is needed to ensure that all cancer cells are destroyed. When this is the case, chemotherapy is used, especially in cases where cancer cells have affected nearby lymph nodes. Chemotherapy is a drug that can be given either orally or intravenously. This allows the drugs to travel throughout the body and target cancer cells. Unfortunately, chemotherapy targets all fast dividing cells in the body, which can result in common side effects like hair loss and nail loss, along with a long list of other possible side effects. Chemotherapy is often used to make cancer cells more susceptible to treatment by radiation, or to shrink cancer tumors to a level where surgery can be more effective.

How does pacilitaxel help in cancer?

Inhibits the M phase of cell growth. Vincristine and Vinblastine work in the same way and more info is available on this other two drugs.