Chemotherapy Overview
What is chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy treatment for cancer started around 1941 when two clinicians tried using nitrogen mustard on patients with lymphoma. In most cases, chemotherapy works by interfering with the cancer cell's ability to grow or reproduce. Different groups of drugs work in different ways to fight cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be used alone for some types of cancer or in conjunction with other therapy such as radiation or surgery. Often, a combination of chemotherapy drugs is used to fight a specific cancer. Certain chemotherapy drugs may be given in a specific order depending on the type of cancer it is being used to treat.
While chemotherapy can be quite effective in treating certain cancers, the agents do not differentiate normal healthy cells from cancer cells. Because of this, there can be many adverse side effects during treatment. Being able to anticipate these side effects can help the care team, parents, and child prepare, and, in some cases prevent these symptoms from occurring, if possible.
How is chemotherapy administered?
Chemotherapy can be given:
- as a pill to swallow.
- as an injection into the muscle or fat tissue.
- intravenously (directly to the bloodstream; also called IV).
- intrathecally - chemotherapy given directly into the spinal column with a needle.
What are some of the chemotherapy drugs and their potential side effects?
The following table lists specific chemotherapy drugs and some of the side effects, however, each child may experience symptoms differently and at during different times of the treatment. Some side effects may occur early on (days or weeks) and some side effects may occur later (months or years) after the chemotherapy has been given. The side effects listed are not all the possible problems that may occur. Always consult your child's physician if your child is feeling anything unusual.
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