Chemotherapy for Carcinoma Treatment
Chemotherapy drugs are toxic to cancer cells. These drugs are usually given by injection into a vein or directly through a catheter inserted into a larger vein. Often given after surgery to kill small groups of cancer cells that may have been, chemotherapy can cause the tumor to grow less rapidly, and alleviate symptoms in patients who can not be operated. This treatment may be used at all stages of lung cancer and can prolong life even in the elderly if they are in good general health. Some chemotherapy drugs increase the damage caused by radiation to cancer cells. Other drugs keep tumor cells in a stage where they are more susceptible to radiation, or reduce the ability of cancer cells to repair after a course of radiotherapy. There is increasing evidence that a combination of these drugs and radiotherapy is more effective than radiotherapy alone, but there is a risk of serious side effects.
Chemotherapy causes many serious side effects including severe nausea and vomiting, and damage to white blood cells needed to fight infections, however, now there are ways to address some of these effects. Some patients with lung cancer will have to decide whether it is worth suffering side effects and diminished quality of life in order to prolong life a bit more.