Chemotherapy care in Guntur
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Chemotherapy care in Guntur is a type of cancer treatment that uses powerful drugs to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells. It can be used alone or in combination with other treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy.
Goals of Chemotherapy:
- Curative – to eliminate cancer entirely.
- Control – to shrink tumors and slow cancer progression.
- Palliative – to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.
How Chemotherapy Works:
- Chemotherapy targets rapidly dividing cells, a hallmark of cancer.
- Unfortunately, it also affects some healthy fast-growing cells (e.g., hair follicles, bone marrow, digestive tract), which causes side effects.
Types of Chemotherapy:
- Alkylating agents (e.g., cyclophosphamide)
- Antimetabolites (e.g., methotrexate, 5-FU)
- Anti-tumor antibiotics (e.g., doxorubicin)
- Topoisomerase inhibitors (e.g., irinotecan)
- Mitotic inhibitors (e.g., paclitaxel, vincristine)
- Platinum-based drugs (e.g., cisplatin, carboplatin)
Routes of Administration:
- Intravenous (IV) – most common
- Oral pills or capsules
- Subcutaneous or intramuscular injections
- Intrathecal (into the cerebrospinal fluid)
- Intraperitoneal or intravesical (direct to body cavity)
Side Effects (vary by drug, dose, and patient):
- Fatigue, hair loss, nausea/vomiting
- Low blood counts (anemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia)
- Mouth sores, loss of appetite, diarrhea or constipation
- Neuropathy, infertility, risk of infection
- Long-term risks: heart damage, secondary cancers
Supportive Care and Monitoring:
- Antiemetics to prevent nausea
- Growth factors (e.g., G-CSF) to support white blood cell counts
- Blood tests to monitor liver, kidney, and marrow function
- Dose adjustments for organ function or side effects
New Developments:
- Combination with immunotherapy or targeted therapy
- Use of metronomic chemotherapy (low-dose, frequent administration)
- Precision oncology to guide chemo choices based on genetic markers