Oregon Hematology Oncology Associates

• Cancer Overview
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation Therapy
• Surgery
• Biotherapy

Chemotherapy

What is Chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy is an important part of the treatment of cancer. Chemotherapy means drug therapy, whether given by mouth (oral) or in the vein (intravenous), muscle (intramuscular), artery (intraarterial) or spinal fluid (intrathecal). Whereas radiation therapy and surgery treat the cancer at its largest or primary site (local treatment), chemotherapy travels throughout the body where it can reach all the cancer cells, even the ones that cannot be detected by x-rays and blood tests. Certain cancer drugs work well in combination with others. Therefore, cancer chemotherapy usually consists of a combination of several drugs. This combination is given on a set schedule for anywhere from a few months to several years. With recent advances in chemotherapy, the drug treatment can usually be given as an outpatient in the Oregon Hematology Oncology Associate’s office.

What can chemotherapy achieve?

Depending on the type of cancer and its stage of development, chemotherapy can be used:

• To cure cancer
• To keep cancer from spreading locally
• To slow the cancer's growth
• To kill cancer cells that may have spread to other parts of the body from the original tumor
• To relieve symptoms that may be caused by the cancer

What drugs will I get?

Once the specific type and extent of cancer has been determined, your physician will discuss treatment options with you. To help you decide, he will give you information about response rates, common side effects, and alternatives. When a specific chemotherapy treatment plan (protocol) has been decided upon, the doctor will discuss the exact drugs, doses, duration and timing of chemotherapy. You will be given a written form containing information on what you need to know about your diagnosis and treatment. This form will be a good reference tool to use when calling the “doctor on call” or discussing your situation with any other physicians involved in your care. The protocol sometimes will be modified (usually minor changes) according to blood tests, side effects, and response to treatment. Some patients may be eligible for research protocols. This drug therapy will be administered according to the research study guidelines. Other protocols recommended may be those in common use for this type of cancer or protocols individually designed by your physician. Usually the protocols used in our practice are identical or very similar to the treatments used across the United States.

We feel it is very important for you to know as much as possible about the drugs you are receiving. We use both group and individual teaching. Once your treatment plan is identified, we will teach you what drugs you will receive, the most common side effects, and how to manage those side effects should they occur. You will be given written information about the drugs and how to cope with the side effects, but it is best to have a family member learn with you since they will be your support at home.

How will I know if my chemotherapy is working?

Your doctor and nurse will use several methods to measure how well your treatments are working. You will have physical exams, blood tests, scans and x-rays. Don’t hesitate to ask the doctor about the test results and what they show about your progress.

While tests and exams can tell a lot about how chemotherapy is working, side effects tell very little. Side effects - such as nausea or hair loss - occur because chemotherapy harms some normal cells as well as cancer cells. Sometimes people think that if they don’t have side effects, the drugs aren’t working, or that if they do have side effects, the drugs are working well. Side effects vary so much from person to person, and from drug to drug, that having them or not having them usually isn’t a sign of whether the treatment is effective.

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©2003 Oregon Hematology Oncology Associates, P.C., Inc. All rights reserved. This site is for educational purposes only and is intended for your general knowledge. It should not be used as a substitute for advice from your physician or other healthcare professional.