At the moment, one of the main ills of mankind is the high mortality rate from oncology. Every year, the world loses about 8 million people who failed to defeat cancer. Scientists argue that these figures will only continue to grow 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. The treatment with these drugs is called chemotherapy. Preparation for it includes medical support for the body and a change in the patient’s lifestyle. If all conditions are met, the chances of overcoming such a serious disease are significantly increased.
Medicinal care
The main part of preparation for chemotherapy is the use of certain drugs that will help protect healthy organs from the harmful effects of drugs, as well as increase the stamina of the body and reduce the manifestation of negative consequences.
For each patient, the doctor writes an individual list of drugs and vitamins. As a rule, it includes:
- Hepatoprotectors (Phosphogliv, Heptor, or Heptral).
- Probiotics ("Hilak forte", "Acipol").
- Antiemetic drugs (Navoban).
- Immunomodulating drugs ("Viferon").
- From the intravenous administration of certain drugs, patients have traces of skin that are successfully treated with troxerutin. Therefore, it is better to purchase one of these ointments, in case of a similar situation.
- In preparation for chemotherapy, the introduction of various intravenous solutions ("Hemodez", "Reopoliglyukin" and others) is possible. This will help speed up the body's metabolism.
- It will not be superfluous to use a complex of amino acids to protect cells of the liver, heart and other organs.
- Recently, doctors have advised patients to use soya lecithin, which perfectly nourishes brain cells and blood vessels.
- Also, oncology is increasingly talking about the healing properties of the extract of Reishi mushrooms. Its components help to alleviate the patient’s condition after treatment.
Patient lifestyle changes
Many chemotherapy courses are a serious test that requires a person to radically change their lifestyle, abandon bad habits and observe a number of other rules of a healthy lifestyle.
- It is advisable for the patient to adhere to a balanced diet rich in a variety of minerals and vitamins. 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 can make nausea and / or vomiting worse. On the patient's table should regularly be vegetables, fruits, herbs, dairy products. Be sure to eat steamed fish, boiled meat. Of the drinks, chamomile, ginger, and mint teas are especially desirable.
- Another important recommendation for preparing for chemotherapy for cancer is drinking plenty of clean drinking water (about 2.5 liters per day). This will help to speed up the metabolism and remove drug metabolites faster.
- On the eve of the course of treatment, it is important to sleep, be full of strength and energy. In general, it would be great to have a good habit - to sleep at least 8 hours a day, while staying up until 22:00, and waking up until 08:00.
Psychological aspects of the process
All of the above recommendations include physical preparation for chemotherapy. However, the moral side of the process is no less important. The patient should be prepared for everything and tune in to the fight that needs to be won at all costs.
If a person feels that he is not able to cope independently with the worries about his diagnosis, or if he loses faith in healing, he should immediately seek help from a psychotherapist. Such a specialist is mandatory in the staff of any oncology clinic.
All of these recommendations are mandatory before chemotherapy for oncology. The consequences and recovery in this case will be less noticeable for the patient.
Chemotherapy steps
The treatment is divided into several courses with interruptions ranging in length from two weeks to a month. This is done so that the patient's body can recover and relax before the next portion of the drugs.
There are two types of treatment:
- Monotherapy - treatment with any one drug.
- Polytherapy - treatment with two or more drugs.
Everyone who has such events ahead should know how chemotherapy works. Regardless of the type of treatment chosen, treatment is the same and consists of the following steps:
- On treatment, the patient arrives at a strictly scheduled date at the oncology clinic, where he will stay for several days (on average, one course lasts from three to seven days).
- Before each course, the patient must undergo a number of tests: a general and biochemical blood test, a general urinalysis, 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 prescribed anticancer 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.
- Since chemotherapy is carried out using toxic drugs, many patients experience nausea and vomiting. Therefore, they are offered medications that can alleviate this condition.
- In some cases, the oncologist prescribes infusion with a physical solution. This is done to "flush" the body, cleanse it of excess toxins and metabolites of the drug. For example, after treatment with “Cisplatin” for cancer of the stomach or intestines, two such droppers are placed.
- The next step is to assess the overall well-being of the patient. If everything is in order, he is assigned the date of the next arrival, and he goes home to regain his strength. The number of courses and their frequency is set individually for each person and may vary during treatment.
- Periodically, between the courses monitoring of the healing process is carried out. This is done with the help of laboratory blood tests for tumor markers, as well as examinations using computer 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 the chemotherapy drugs?
Each cancer patient has his own individual treatment regimen, which depends on the diagnosis, stage of the disease and current treatment progress.
Currently, there are many drugs aimed at combating cancer cells. All of them have one thing in common - a proven therapeutic effect with high efficiency. They differ in the mechanism of action and composition.
1. Alkylating agents. Having appeared the very first, they still have not lost their relevance. 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. The tumor growth process is disrupted due to an obstacle to the synthesis of microtubules - cell 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 preparations (“Vinflunin”, “Vinorelbine”, “Vindesine”).
4. Taxanes that disrupt spindle cell formation. They are made from another plant (Pacific or berry yew). These include: Paclitaxel; “Docetaxel"; “Podophyllotoxin”; Teniposide; "Etoposide."
5. Inhibitors of topoisomerase. The synthesis of topoisomerase type 1 and type 2 enzymes, which are involved in the synthesis of tumor cell DNA, is inhibited. Trade names: “Teniposide"; "Mitoxantrone"; "Etoposide"; “Doxorubicin”; “Aklarubicin”; Marboran “Novobiocin”.
The most effective anti-cancer drugs
These include platinum-based chemotherapy drugs. They have the highest antitumor activity. The mechanism of action is that they "cross-link" guanine pairs in DNA, thereby violating 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 healthy tissues. Therefore, in platinum preparations, side effects can manifest themselves particularly pronounced. The main drugs in this group include: “Platinum”; “Carboplatin”; “Cisplatin."
The effects of chemotherapy
Of course, for no human body can undergo such a treatment as chemotherapy for oncology. The consequences and recovery can be difficult for a weakened body. The negative effects of drugs can affect almost all organs and systems.
What systems may be affected by treatment?
Digestive system. It falls under the blow of the first and is particularly affected. This is due to the high sensitivity of the mucous tract to drugs. Therefore, the most common complaints of patients are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite.
Reproductive system. Representatives of both sexes may decrease libido, temporary infertility.
The immune system. All anti-cancer drugs destroy immune cells, so the body’s defenses are significantly reduced.
Hematopoietic system. Anemia, a violation of the formation of white blood cells, red blood cells and other blood cells.
Nervous system. In the process of treatment, the onset of moral exhaustion of the patient is almost inevitable. He can become tearful, shy, nervous, irritable.
One of the most unpleasant consequences is the possible occurrence of pain. It can be pain in the joints or internal organs.
A frequent consequence is hair loss throughout the human body. At the end of the chemotherapy course, hair, eyelashes and eyebrows will necessarily grow back.
Conclusion
Cancer medicine has gone a long way in discovering many different anti-cancer drugs. All of them are highly effective, but their main disadvantage is the aggressive effect on healthy cells. Proper and timely preparation for chemotherapy will help protect the body from such negative effects and reduce the risk of consequences.