How Is Chemotherapy Given?
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Pre-Treatment
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Chemotherapy drugs attack cancer cells in an effort to treat the entire body to remove cancer cells. Treatment begins before any chemotherapy drugs are dispensed. Doctors frequently inset a portable catheter to make delivery of chemo drugs easier and safer for the patients. The procedure is a simple outpatient surgery at the hospital and involves inserting a disc-shaped port under the skin with tubing directly into a main artery. Ports help prevent the collapse of veins when chemo is injected directly into the arm and also allow rapid dispensation of the chemotherapy throughout the body.
Before any chemotherapy is given, patients receive a host of instructions and medications to combat the side effects of chemotherapy. Many patients receive steroids, a powerful medication to fight allergic reactions to the chemo. Steroids are taken the day before, the day of, and one day after chemotherapy. In addition, patients take anti-nausea medications before even stepping in the door of the chemotherapy infusion center. Additional drugs, such as antacids and anti-anxiety pills, are frequently given to patients as well. Most chemotherapy treatments require pre-medications, including those that inject chemo directly into a tumor or directly into the vein closest to the tumor. Chemo can also be administered as a pill, injected into the stomach area or rubbed onto the skin as a topical treatment for skin cancer.
Chemotherapy patients always receive a complete blood count before treatment. These counts measure white blood cells, red blood cells and a host of other indicators to determine whether their body is strong enough to receive treatment. Blood tests and physical examinations are the primary ways oncologists measure the health of a patent during a chemotherapy regimen.
Preparation for Chemotherapy Infusion
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In addition to receiving a host of oral medications to combat side effects and allergic reactions, chemotherapy patients also receive the same drugs during their infusion sessions. Specially trained nurses flush the patient's port-a-cath and start an IV to flush the catheter as well as hydrate the chemo patient. Chemotherapy treatment frequently dehydrates patients, so this preparation phase helps strengthen the body. Nurses also administer additional medications during this phase of treatment, including steroids, anti-anxiety and other drugs to directly combat the side effects of each particular chemo drug. For example, certain types of chemo require the use of drugs to treat fluid retention in the body. Other drugs may be given to elevate certain vitamin levels in the body or to boost white blood cell production.
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Administering the Chemotherapy
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Intravenous delivery of chemo drugs allows the powerful medications to enter the bloodstream quickly for dispersal throughout the body. Once preparatory medications are complete, the infusion nurse will hook up chemotherapy drugs to the IV. These bags often are colored green as a precautionary notice to anyone using these drugs. Chemotherapy medications contain powerful toxins to fight cancer, so each bag of chemo is carefully monitored.
Chemo drugs drip through the IV into your bloodstream until the full treatment is received. In addition, some chemotherapy drugs require delivery by needle directly into the IV line. This treatment is called a "push" and is administered by a nurse steadily pressing the plunger of a large needle. Chemotherapy treatment can take between one and eight hours, including administering all pre-medications, the chemo, and allowance for recovery monitoring time.
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