Medical Oncology

There are many drugs and combinations of drugs used to fight cancer. There are single dose agents, called single agent chemotherapy, or several drugs given at the same time called combination chemotherapy. Your doctor will work with you to find the best treatment option for you.

Chemotherapy can be given in a number of ways. Many chemotherapy medications are too harsh to go through the digestive tract, so they are given intravenously. IV, or intravenous chemotherapy, is delivered through a tube. One end of the tube is connected to a bag containing your medication and the other end is placed into a vein.
Some chemotherapy is available in pill or liquid form that can be taken by mouth, and others can be applied topically, as a cream or lotion. Chemotherapy may be given as an injection.

The name of the injection tells you where the chemotherapy will be administered:

• intrathecal or intraventricular into the fluid that surrounds the spinal cord and brain
• intramuscular into a muscle
• intra-arterial into an artery
• subcutaneous just under the skin
• intrapleural into the chest cavity
• intraperitoneal into the abdominal cavity
• intravesical into the bladder
• intratumoral into the tumor

Treatment schedules for chemotherapy vary widely. How often and how long you get chemotherapy depends on your type of cancer and how advanced it is, the goals of treatment, the type of chemotherapy, and how your body reacts to chemotherapy.  You may receive chemotherapy in cycles, which is a period of chemotherapy treatment followed by a period of rest.

You are likely to feel tired but this will stop after a while and you will be able to lead a normal life. However this largely depends on the individuals being treated.

It is not recommended to skip chemotherapy treatment unless it is an emergency . But sometimes your doctor or nurse may change your chemotherapy schedule. This can be due to side effects you are having. If this happens, your doctor or nurse will explain what to do and when to start treatment again.

You may experience considerable side effects, some, or none at all. This depends on the type and amount of chemotherapy you get and how your body reacts. Before you start chemotherapy, talk with our doctor or nurses about which side effects to expect.

• Eat properly to maintain your strength. Nutritionists are available that can help you to make the right decisions about your diet.
• Avoid anyone who is sick, even if it is only a cold. The drugs used in chemotherapy need to be very powerful to kill the cancer cells. This can be very hard on your immune system and you are more susceptible to illness and likely to get sicker from germs that may only give everyone else a slight cold.
• Get a lot of rest and avoid excessive activity.
• Talk to your friends or family about what you are feeling. Sometimes it is easier to talk to someone who is not so close and there are many support groups available where you can talk freely among those who share the same concerns as you.

Many people can work during chemotherapy, as long as they match their schedule to how they feel. Whether or not you can work may depend on what kind of work you do. If your job allows, you may want to see if you can work part-time or work from home on days you do not feel well. Talk with your employer about ways to adjust your work during chemotherapy. 

No it is not. It depends on the type and stage of the cancer. In some cases there may be a wait-and-watch policy; in others it is given to cure the disease or to prevent its recurrence.