It can be used on its own or in combination with other medications to target different types of cancer. Chemotherapy is also used to shrink tumors before your physician attempts to remove it through surgery. Both forms of treatment are used to destroy cancer cells.
The main difference is that biological therapies are derived from living organisms that can modify the immune response, while chemotherapy utilizes chemicals to destroy existing cancerous cells. There are also different types of each. As with any prescription medication, both forms of treatment carry a risk of a long list of side effects. They vary from one person to the next and may range from relatively mild to severe. At Infusion Associates, we provide medically-prescribed infusion therapy for patients with chronic conditions in a welcoming and friendly environment.
Oral chemotherapy consists of a liquid or a pill that you swallow. You do not receive any injections, and you can complete your treatment at home. However, taking the pill or liquid exactly as directed is essential to kill the cancer. While this method is more convenient for patients, it is also more expensive. Your health insurance company may require you to pay a higher deductible or co-payment than you would have to for intravenous chemotherapy.
Before your doctor sends you home with oral chemotherapy, he or she will go over the following:. It is important to understand the purpose of oral chemotherapy is to keep the same level of drug in your body throughout treatment so it can effectively kill cancer cells. You may need a dosage change at some point in your treatment, but this is something for your doctor to decide. You should not change how or when you take the medication without consulting him or her.
Oral chemotherapy travels through your entire body to kill cancer cells. This means that it also harms healthy cells and causes side effects. Some of the side effects you may experience include:. For intravenous IV chemotherapy, you need to come to UHC Cancer Center and receive cancer-killing drugs through a plastic tube placed into your veins.
Like oral chemotherapy, IV chemotherapy takes place according to a pre-determined schedule. Some patients have a port embedded in their skin prior to their first session. Patients may also be given anti nausea drugs before infusion chemotherapy to mitigate some of the side effects and keep them more comfortable. Concerns with infusion chemotherapy can include the risk of an allergic reaction to the medication, which might cause acute distress, and general discomfort. Some medications cause a burning or tingling sensation and others may actually raise blisters if they come into direct contact with the skin.
Care providers are cautious about placement to make sure the medication is delivered into the bloodstream and does not seep into the surrounding tissue. The medication will attack the tumor and may cause the patient to feel unwell at first. Several rounds may be needed to provide complete treatment.
Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a TheHealthBoard researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.
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