Wot how does chemo work

In some cases, 2 or more of these drugs may be combined to try to make them more effective. For example, combining gemcitabine and cisplatin may help people live longer than getting just gemcitabine alone. Chemo drugs attack cells that are dividing quickly, which is why they work against cancer cells.

But other cells in the body, such as those in the bone marrow where new blood cells are made , the lining of the mouth and intestines, and the hair follicles, also divide quickly. These cells can be affected by chemo, which can lead to side effects. The side effects of chemo depend on the type and dose of drugs given, how they're given, and the length of treatment.

Side effects can include:. Ask your cancer care team what you should watch for. They may receive their allotted chemotherapy dosing through weekly pill or injection — though you would never know it. As an autoimmune disease patient myself suffering from systemic sclerosis scleroderma , lupus, and vasculitis, I have undergone both low, and high dose chemotherapy.

I received weekly injectable low dose chemotherapy for two years, and a weekly pill form for another year after that.

At that low dosing I had significant hair thinning, including my head, eyelashes, and eyebrows nausea and fatigue a few days following the injection, and damage to my fertility. Most people around me had no idea I was getting weekly chemotherapy, but I was.

No matter how low the dosing, the class of drug and what it does for the body doesn't change, simply the side effects are lessened. Chemotherapy is chemotherapy no matter how you receive it, or how much. Since I now have serious organ involvement with a fatal prognosis I have been moved to the higher intravenous dosing of chemo, one that the society acknowledges due to its obvious side effects. I have lost all of my hair, become sterile, and spent long nights in nauseated misery in the attempt to abolish my malfunctioning immune cells.

I must follow this regimen every 28 days for the next year, then be switched back to the low dose weekly chemo for the rest of my life. Chemotherapy never ends for autoimmune patients like myself. For some reason the general population cannot seem to comprehend this. This is absolutely inaccurate. So most choose to receive hospice at home.

Nurses, doctors, social workers, and spiritual guides work as a team to deliver hospice care. However, the majority of day-to-day care will be up to the family. This may be difficult for people who live alone or those whose partners work away from home.

Many cancer patients get through this time by depending on their support network of other family members and friends who take shifts so that someone is with you around the clock.

Hospice care is paid for by Medicare. There are also organizations that provide free hospice care to those in financial need who may not have insurance coverage. Your oncologist or another member of your treatment team can help you find hospice facilities in your area.

Before you become too sick, consider completing an advanced directive. This is a legal document that states how you want to be cared for at the end of life. Writing down your end-of-life wishes beforehand relieves your family of the pressure from guessing what type of care you want to receive. It can give them peace of mind at a time of grief. And it can also ensure that your wishes are respected and that you get the care you want at the end of your life.

In your advanced directive, you can include specifics like whether you want a feeding tube or intravenous fluids at the end of life. You can also say whether you want to be resuscitated with CPR or put on a ventilator if your heart stops beating. Many people have been in the same place as you are now. Find a support group in your area or go online to chat with others who are coping with stopping their chemotherapy and planning end-of-life care. Knowing when to stop chemotherapy can be just as difficult as going through treatment.

Being comfortable with your decision is important for your well-. Radiation and chemotherapy are treatments for cancer.