Combatting Ovarian Cancer: What You Need to Know about Chemotherapy
Ovarian cancer is a deadly disease causing many women to lose their lives. It is considered as one of the most common cancers in women around the world. The treatment options for ovarian cancer include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. Among them, chemotherapy is the most used method to treat ovarian cancer. Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that is given either orally or intravenously that helps to kill cancer cells.
Chemotherapy drugs travel throughout the body and help to stop the growth of cancer cells. The drugs that are used in chemotherapy have side effects that can be temporary or long-lasting. The side effects include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, anemia, hair loss, fever, mouth sores, and weight loss. These side effects can vary from person to person based on the type of chemotherapy being used.
It is important to know that chemotherapy may not be effective for all types of ovarian cancer. Hence, the oncologist will determine the type of chemotherapy that is most effective for the patient based on various factors like age, cancer stage, general health, medical history, and other factors. Sometimes, chemotherapy is used in combination with surgery or radiation therapy to completely eradicate cancer cells.
Chemotherapy is usually administered in cycles to give the body enough time to recover from the side effects. It can be done on an outpatient basis or may require hospitalization if the side effects are severe. Chemotherapy is also used in palliative care, which aims to improve the quality of life of patients with advanced ovarian cancer.
It is also important to know that chemotherapy can affect fertility in women. Women who are undergoing chemotherapy should seek advice from their doctors on fertility preservation if they wish to have children in the future.
In conclusion, chemotherapy is a very effective treatment option for ovarian cancer. Though it does have its side effects, the benefits of chemotherapy can outweigh the risks of the side effects. Chemotherapy is usually combined with other treatments to completely eradicate cancer cells. Patients who undergo chemotherapy should be made aware of the side effects and be closely monitored by their oncologists to ensure the best possible outcomes. It is important to understand that everyone’s body reacts differently to chemotherapy and patients should seek advice from their oncologists on their personal treatment plan.