What is chemotherapy treatment

Share on Pinterest Justin Paget / Getty Images Chemotherapy can be effective either on its own or with other treatments. But it also has the potential to lead to mild or serious side effects. More than half of the people who receive chemotherapy experience at least one side effect. The most common side effects are: • fatigue • diarrhea • constipation Keep reading as we break down the different types of chemotherapies used to treat cancer, and what to expect in terms of side effects. Chemotherapy may be used as the primary treatment for your cancer, or it may be used to prepare you for other treatments such as One • your age • your overall health • the type of cancer you have • how much the cancer has spread • your previous treatments • your personal preferences Chemotherapy drugs are broadly classified based on their mode of action. The main categories include: • alkylating agents • plant alkaloids (topoisomerase inhibitors and mitotic inhibitors) • anti-metabolites • anti-tumor antibiotics • corticosteroids • miscellaneous other drugs This table shows which cancers these types of chemotherapy are typically used for. Type of chemotherapy Cancer it may be used to treat alkylating agents multiple myeloma sarcoma Hodgkin’s disease lung cancer breast cancer ovarian cancer plant alkaloids: topoisomerase inhibitors leukemia pancreatic cancer ovarian cancer gastrointestinal cancer lung cancer plant alkaloids: mitotic inhibitors breast cancer lung cancer myelomas lymphoma leukemia...

Not everyone with cancer has cancer pain, but some do. If you have cancer that's spread or recurred, your chance of having pain is higher. Cancer pain takes many forms. It can be dull, achy, sharp or burning. It can be constant, intermittent, mild, moderate or severe. How much pain you feel depends on a number of factors, including the type of cancer you have, how advanced it is, where it's situated and your pain tolerance. Pain can be caused by the cancer itself. Pain could happen if the cancer grows into or destroys nearby tissue. As a tumor grows, it can press on nerves, bones or organs. The tumor can also release chemicals that can cause pain. Treatment of the cancer can help the pain in these situations. However, cancer treatments, including surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, also can cause pain. A number of treatments are available for cancer pain. Your options may depend on what's causing your cancer pain and the intensity of the pain you're feeling. You may need a combination of pain treatments to find the most relief. Options include: • Over-the-counter pain relievers. For mild and moderate levels of pain, pain relievers that don't require a prescription may help. Examples include aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) and ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others). • Medications derived from opium (opioids). Opioids are prescription medications used to treat moderate to severe pain. Examples of opioids include morphine (Kadian, Ms Contin, others) and oxycodone (Oxy...