Stages of Chemotherapy

What Is It?

Chemotherapy is a chemical treatment that kills cells--whether good or bad--in order to attack microorganisms or cancerous tumors. Different types of drugs are often used to treat certain diseases, such as antineoplastic drugs for cancer or antibiotics to handle infections. The treatment focuses on the cells that divide rapidly in the human body like cancer, but also harm areas where it occurs naturally such in the bone marrow, digestive tract and hair follicles. Hence the common side effects for chemotherapy are decreased blood cell production, inflammation of the digestive tract lining and hair loss. The purpose of the treatment is to cure the illness, and if not possible, then to prolong the patient's life or to ease symptoms.

Stages of Chemotherapy

Cancer and chemotherapy are classified into stages. The occult stage refers to the initial findings of cancer in a sample such as the patient's sputum where only surgery to remove the tumor is needed. Stage zero means carcinoma in one local area but noninvasive. Stage I is when the cancer has reached higher layers of the organ but not to the lymph nodes, so surgery is still the main course of action unless the tumor has not been completely removed--then chemotherapy is recommended. Stage II happens as the illness spreads to the lymph nodes and will require surgery, but if the disease is inoperable, then doctors will consider radiation and chemotherapy. In stage III the cancer spreads beyond the organ or to other lymph nodes and thus a combination of radiation, surgery and/or chemotherapy are necessary. Finally, stage IV is when the disease metastasizes to other parts of the body; chemotherapy of a combination of drugs, along with other treatments, are used unless the patient is too sick.

The Aftermath of Survival

The patients who survive the illness due to chemotherapy may experience certain changes to their body. For example, hair grows back after the final treatment is administered, but in some cases the color may change. A person regains her strength but there is a chance that fatigue will persist after the chemotherapy. Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet are also a possible side effect of the nerves once treatment ends. For women, chemotherapy affects the ovaries and can cause early menopause with hot flashes; for some the damage is permanent, while for others the ovaries recover and fertility returns.

References

• Chemotherapy
• NY Times: Lung Cancer Treatment Options
• Coping with Chemotherapy