At the moment, one of the main troubles of mankind is the high mortality rate from oncology. Every year, the world loses about 8 million people who have not managed to defeat cancer. Scientists argue that these numbers will only grow in the future and will almost double by 2030. Fortunately, a huge number of drugs with antitumor activity have appeared in the field of treatment of malignant neoplasms. Treatment with these drugs is called chemotherapy. Preparation for it includes medical support for the body and changes in the patient's lifestyle. If all conditions are met, the chances of overcoming such a serious disease increase significantly.
Medication help
The main part of preparing for chemotherapy is the use of certain means that will help protect he althy organs from the harmful effects of drugs, as well as increase the body's endurance and reduce the manifestation of negative consequences.
For each patient, the doctor prescribes an individual list of drugs andvitamins. As a rule, it includes:
- Hepatoprotectors ("Phosphogliv", "Heptor" or "Heptral").
- Probiotics ("Hilak forte", "Acipol").
- Antiemetics ("Navoban").
- Immunomodulatory drugs ("Viferon").
- Intravenous administration of certain drugs leaves marks on the skin of patients, which are successfully treated with troxerutin. Therefore, it is better to purchase one of these ointments, in case such a situation arises.
- In preparation for chemotherapy, it is possible to introduce various intravenous solutions ("Hemodez", "Reopoliglyukin" and others). This will help speed up the body's metabolism.
- It will not be superfluous to use a complex of amino acids to protect the cells of the liver, heart and other organs.
- Recently, doctors advise patients to consume soy lecithin, which perfectly nourishes brain cells and blood vessels.
- Also, oncology is increasingly talking about the healing properties of Reishi mushroom extract. Its components help to alleviate the patient's condition after treatment.
Changing the patient's lifestyle
Many courses of chemotherapy is a serious test that requires a person to radically change their lifestyle, give up bad habits and follow a number of other rules of a he althy lifestyle.
- It is desirable for the patient to adhere to a balanced diet rich in a variety of minerals andvitamins. This recommendation is especially relevant for those who are wondering how to prepare for chemotherapy for cancer of the stomach or intestines.
- The use of heavy, fatty foods is not recommended, especially on the eve of treatment. This may aggravate the occurrence of nausea and/or vomiting. Vegetables, fruits, herbs, dairy products should be regularly on the patient's table. Be sure to eat steamed fish, boiled meat. Of the drinks, chamomile, ginger, mint teas are especially desirable.
- Another important recommendation in preparing for chemotherapy for cancer is to drink plenty of clean drinking water (about 2.5 liters per day). This will help speed up the metabolism and eliminate drug metabolites faster.
- On the eve of the course of treatment, it is important to get enough sleep, to be full of strength and energy. In general, it would be great to have a good habit - sleep at least 8 hours a day, while going to bed before 22:00, and waking up before 08:00.
Psychological aspects of the process
In all of the above recommendations is the physical preparation for chemotherapy. However, the moral side of the process is no less important. The patient should be ready for anything and tune in to the fight that needs to be won at all costs.
If a person feels that they are unable to cope with their own feelings about their diagnosis or they lose faith in healing, they should immediately seek help from a psychotherapist. Such a specialist is mandatory in the staff of any oncologicaldispensary.
All of the above recommendations must be followed before chemotherapy for oncology. The consequences and recovery in this case will be less noticeable for the patient.
Stages of chemotherapy
The treatment is divided into several courses with breaks ranging from two weeks to a month. This is done so that the patient's body can recover and rest before the next dose of drugs.
Treatment is of two types:
- Monotherapy - treatment with any one drug.
- Polytherapy - treatment with two or more drugs.
Anyone who is going to have such an event should know how chemotherapy works. Regardless of the type chosen, the treatment is the same and consists of the following steps:
- The patient arrives for treatment on a strictly appointed date at the oncology dispensary, where he will stay for several days (on average, one course lasts from three to seven days).
- Before each course, the patient must take a series of tests: a general and biochemical blood test, a general urine test, and others. If necessary, an ECG of the heart, ultrasound of some organs (liver, kidneys, etc.) and other procedures are performed.
- The oncologist checks the results of all examinations, measures weight, asks about the general well-being of the patient, listens to complaints. The doctor will also find out how the recovery process went after the previous course. If everything is in order, the patient is placed in the ward and awaits treatment.
- First he is assignedanticancer drugs for chemotherapy. They come in the form of injections, tablets and capsules. The choice of dosage form depends on the diagnosis and stage of the disease and is carried out by the attending physician.
- Because chemotherapy is done with poisonous drugs, many patients experience nausea and vomiting. Therefore, they are offered medicines that can alleviate this condition.
- In some cases, the oncologist prescribes infusions with a physical solution. This is done to "wash" the body, clean it from excess toxins and metabolites of the drug. For example, after treatment with "Cisplatin" for cancer of the stomach or intestines, two such droppers are put in.
- The next step is to assess the general well-being of the patient. If everything is in order, he is assigned a date for the next arrival, and he goes home to recuperate. The number of courses and their frequency is set individually for each person and may change during treatment.
- Periodically between courses, the recovery process is monitored. This is done with the help of laboratory blood tests for tumor markers, as well as examinations using computed and magnetic resonance imaging. Based on the results of all procedures, the doctor judges the success of the treatment and can change the course, duration of treatment or cancel it altogether.
What are chemotherapy drugs?
Everyone hascancer patients have their own individual treatment regimen, which depends on the diagnosis, the stage of the disease and the current progress of treatment.
Currently, there are many drugs aimed at combating malignant cells. One thing unites them all - a proven therapeutic effect with high efficiency. They differ from each other by the mechanism of action and composition.
1. alkylating agents. Having appeared the very first, they still have not lost their relevance. By binding DNA through the formation of covalent bonds, they cause the death of tumor cells (apoptosis). This group includes drugs such as: "Cyclophosphamide", "Chlorambucil", "Procarbazine".
2. Antimetabolites. They stop the formation of DNA in malignant cells. These include: Methotrexate, Fluorouracil, Mercaptopurine, Thioguanine.
3. Antimicrotubulin drugs. They disrupt the process of tumor growth by preventing the synthesis of microtubules - cellular organelles, without which normal division is impossible.
These drugs are divided into two subgroups, depending on the origin:
- Natural. Formed from vinca alkaloids. ("Vinblastine", "Vincristine").
- Synthetic drugs ("Vinflunin", "Vinorelbin", "Vindesin").
4. Taxanes that disrupt the formation of the cell division spindle. They are made from another plant (Pacific or berry yew). These include:"Paclitaxel"; "Docetaxel"; "Podophyllotoxin"; "Teniposide"; “This is a posit.”
5. topoisomerase inhibitors. They inhibit the synthesis of topoisomerase type 1 and type 2 enzymes, which are involved in the synthesis of DNA of tumor cells. Trade names: “Teniposide”; "Mitoxantrone"; "Etoposide"; "Doxorubicin"; "Aclarubicin"; "Marboran"; Novobiocin.
Most effective cancer drugs
This should include platinum-based chemotherapy drugs. They have the highest antitumor activity. The mechanism of action is that they "sew" pairs of guanine into DNA, thereby disrupting its structure and stopping the process of division of malignant cells.
It is worth recalling that the more effective the substance destroys the tumor, the more negatively it affects he althy tissues. Therefore, in platinum preparations, side effects can be especially pronounced. The main drugs in this group include: "Platin"; "Carboplatin"; “Cisplatin”.
Effects of chemotherapy
Certainly, no human organism can pass without a trace such treatment as chemotherapy for oncology. Consequences and recovery can be difficult for a weakened body. The negative effects of drugs can affect almost all organs and systems.
Which systems may be affected by treatment?
Digestive system. Gets hit first and hit especially hard. This is due to the high sensitivity of the mucosa of the tract todrugs. Therefore, the most frequent complaints of patients are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite.
Reproductive system. Both sexes may experience decreased libido and temporary infertility.
Immune system. All cancer drugs destroy immune cells, so the body's defenses are significantly reduced.
Hematopoietic system. Anemia, a violation of the formation of leukocytes, erythrocytes and other blood cells.
Nervous system. In the process of treatment, the occurrence of moral exhaustion of the patient is almost inevitable. He can become whiny, fearful, nervous, irritable.
One of the most unpleasant consequences is the possible occurrence of pain. It could be pain in the joints or internal organs.
A frequent consequence is hair loss all over the human body. At the end of the course of chemotherapy, hair, eyelashes and eyebrows will definitely grow back.
Conclusion
Cancer medicine has come a long way with the discovery of many different anti-cancer drugs. All of them are highly effective, but their main disadvantage is the aggressive effect on he althy cells. Proper and timely preparation for chemotherapy will help protect the body from such negative effects and reduce the risk of developing consequences.
