Chemotherapy and How It Affects You

Chemotherapy is the most common treatment for cancer patients. It’s a chemical treatment that will kill cancer cells. Although it has been used to treat multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis too its main treatment is for cancer. Although it is very important to take it can also cause your body to feel very sick.

Back in the beginning of the 20th century it was noticed during tests that when someone was exposed to mustard gas the white blood cell count was low, so it was figured that this might be helpful in treating cancer. This began the search to find the best cure for cancer. To understand chemotherapy you should understand a little about cancer. It’s a growth of cells that is combined with a malignant behavior plus invasion of normal cells. What the chemo drugs do is stop these divisions of cells; they damage the cells and make them die.

Since it’s not possible to pick the specific cells that are affected it can affect other cells in the body such as hair growth because those are controlled by fast-dividing cells too. It seems that certain malignancies are treated more effectively by chemo; these are acute myelogenous leukemia and Hodgkin’s disease. Besides hair loss there are several other possible side effects to chemotherapy, they include but not limited to, abdominal pain, impotence, acid indigestion, in coordination, acid reflux, infection, alopecia, allergic reactions, injection site reaction, insomnia, anemia, anxiety, itching, iron deficiency, and bone pain.

Chemotherapy is not an easy process to go through as you can see by just a few of the side effects. Most people who go through it will be very sick while taking the chemotherapy treatments. There is also a chance that most cancers eventually begin to resist the chemotherapy that is started on the cancer patient. When this happens another chemical may be tried or another type of treatment all together may be tried.

If you know someone who is going to have to go through chemotherapy or if you are going through it yourself they may become self conscience about their hair loss. You can purchase a wig or take the person to get a wig to help these feelings out. It will help boost their self-esteem too. Most men who lose their hair don’t worry about being bald. If you are the person who is going through the experience than you should invite a relative or friend to come over and help out around the house or if you have family let them pick up some of the slack around the house with helping clean and even cook. The therapy will make you tired and you will need all the rest that you can get. Don’t be afraid to ask for the help. One of these days you can return the favor.

Remember that chemo treatments are necessary in helping to kill the cancer cells and while you are dealing with the symptoms of the treatment keep a journal by your side to record everyday of your life. It’s precious and valuable and you don’t even realize it until you are there in that position.