Cancer Articles (Dr. S.N White)

Either external and/or internal (implant) radiation can be used. The basic principle of radiation therapy is to bombard the cancer with rays at doses which damage or destroy the cancer yet produce only a minimum of damage to the surrounding normal tissues. What type of external radiation is used?  External radiation employs either a linear accelerator or a cobalt 60 source to pinpoint the delivery of the radiation dosage. Some doctors use radiation as the primary treatment for prostate cancers in early stages. Others use it as additional therapy for some patients with later stage disease. Radiation is usually given four or five times a week over a period of 6 or 7 weeks. It is important that the patient be in good enough general physical condition to tolerate this heavy concentration of high energy radiation. How are radium implants used in prostatic cancer?   Radioactive gold (Au198 ), iodine (I 125 ), or iridium (Ir 192 ) is implanted directly into the tumor. Wi...

Chemo Side Effects What is meant by regional perfusion? That is when the drugs circulate in a closed circuit through the bloodstream of the cancer affected region. A tourniquet prevents the drug from reaching and damaging sensitive organs beyond the cancerous area. The drug is injected through an artery to the cancerous area, is withdrawn from a vein by special tubes, and then recirculated through artery and vein by means of a pump oxygenator. Regional perfusion allows large doses of drugs to be directed to one spot in the body. It is especially suited to treating certain tumors in the arms and legs. For how long and how often will I be getting chemotherapy treatments?  The length of time and how often you will be having treatments depend upon the kind of cancer you have, the drugs being used, how long it takes your body to respond to the drugs, and how well you tolerate them. Treatment schedules vary widely. Chemotherapy may be given daily, weekly, or monthly. Some drug...

Will I lose my hair? Many people find hair loss the most upsetting side effect of chemotherapy. The rapidly growing cells that make up the hair roots (follicles) are sensitive to chemotherapeutic drugs. Not all drugs cause hair loss, however. There are several important things to remember. The hair loss is temporary. Body hair generally returns once the chemotherapy drug is stopped. Occasionally, the hair will begin to regrow while you are still being treated with the chemotherapy drug. Complete baldness occurs generally within two to three cycles of the drug. When your hair begins to regrow it will be thick and soft and sometimes even better than before. If I am bald to begin with, will I grow hair when chemotherapy stops?  No. If you are already bald before starting your chemotherapy treatments, there will be no new hair growth. Will I lose my hair in places other than on my head?  The hair follicles of the beard, eyebrows, mustache, eyelashes, armpits, legs, and ...

What can be done to help control my nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy? Drugs called antiemetic agents are used to help lessen nausea and vomiting. They are usually given before the chemotherapy treatment begins. Nausea and vomiting vary from person to person and also depend upon the chemotherapy agent being given. Among the drugs that may be prescribed to help combat nausea and vomiting are Compazine, Thorazine, Phenergan, Torecan, Trilafon, Inapsine, Haldol, Decadron, and Metoclopramide. Most are given orally, intramuscularly, or rectally. Can I take drugs at different times of the day to help control nausea and vomiting?  It depends upon the drug. Some must be taken or given at specific times or else they will not be effective. However, most nausea and vomiting seem to occur 2 to 4 hours after the treatment and last less than 24 hours. For some drugs, and some people, getting the drug early in the morning (along with antinausea medicine), then taking the antinaus...

Chemotherapy can be given  • Orally, by mouth, in pill, capsule, or liquid form (PO) • Intravenously, either injected into a vein as a shot (IV push) or as a fluid drip (IV or IV drip) • Intramuscularly, by injecting it into a muscle in the arm, buttocks, or thigh (IM) • Subcutaneously, with an injection beneath the skin (SQ) • Intra arterially, by injecting it into an artery (IA) • Intrathecally, by injecting it directly into the spinal fluid (IT) • Intracavitarily, by injecting it into the pleural space (lung) or into abdomen (for fluid accumulation) How is the method of administration decided?   Some drugs can be given only in one or two ways. Adriamycin, for example, can be given only intravenously or intra arterially. If the drug can be given in different ways, the decision will hinge on the necessary dose, preferences of the doctor and the patient, what kind of cancer it is, and so on. Can drugs be given directly into the bloodstream without putting...

Chemotherapy Chemotherapy which simply means the use of drugs or medications to treat disease came into general use in the 1970s after clinical trials proved them to be effective in treating cancer. To many people, chemotherapy is frightening because of the fears of side effects that are sometimes caused by the use of the potent drugs needed to disrupt the cancer cells' ability to grow and multiply. The use of chemotherapy drugs has been greatly refined over the years, so that many of the earlier side effects have been modified. Chemotherapy may be given in several ways. Sometimes drugs are given in pill or capsule form and taken by mouth. Other times they may be injected into a muscle or given through a vein. How fast the cancer cells are destroyed may vary with the medication and the type of cancer. Because each drug acts on the cell in its own way, and at different times in the cell cycle, using them in combination can be more effective than using any one of them individually...