Chemotherapy is of drug treatment to destroy cancer cells. Doctors can use this cancer therapy individually or in combination with other treatments. Surgery involves removing malignant tumors or nearby affected tissues. Therefore, the specialist might go for this treatment for further effective results.
There are some types of chemotherapy, alkylating agents, anti-tumor antibiotics, plant alkaloids, anti-tumor antibiotics, antimetabolites, et al. While considering this treatment, doctors look for a few factors, such as the type of cancer, its stage, the patient’s body weight, age and overall health, previous cancer treatments (if had). Talk to the leading oncologist in Siliguri for chemotherapy in North Bengal.
Some ways chemotherapy is delivered include:
- Oral chemotherapy
- Intravenous chemotherapy
- Injected chemotherapy
- Topical chemotherapy
- Chemotherapy into an artery
Oncologists may go for hormone therapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy besides this treatment. Here’re when you might have chemotherapy:
Prior to surgery
Patients may receive chemotherapy before surgery, known as neoadjuvant therapy. It aims to shrink the malignant tumor, helping the surgical options. Therefore, patients might need less surgery. Moreover, it aids in better cancer treatment projection.
After surgery
Doctors also go ahead with chemotherapy after surgery. After surgery, this cancer therapy lowers the risk of cancerous growth coming back in the future, medically termed adjuvant treatment. Cancer cells may break away from the malignant tumors. Here, chemotherapy circulating throughout the body destroys the remaining cancer cells.
With radiotherapy
Sometimes, chemotherapy is given with radiotherapy so as to make radiotherapy further effective, known as chemoradiation/chemoradiotherapy. While chemotherapy involves anti-cancer drugs, radiotherapy uses radiation, typically, X-rays.
Chemotherapy on its own
Oncologists more often suggest chemo with surgery or radiation therapy. But sometimes, patients receive it without other treatments. It might be the sole treatment for cancer. Visit the best Siliguri cancer hospital to plan cancer treatment under a specialist.
Many types of cancer can be treated with chemotherapy, such as lymphoma, leukemia, sarcoma, breast cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, multiple myeloma, ovarian cancer. Besides being the main part of cancer treatments, chemo can be used as a treatment for recurrent cancers.
Experts recommend this treatment for metastatic cancers as well. Metastasis is when cancer cells spread from where they first started to other parts of the body. Malignant cells break away from the primary tumour and reach other regions of the body, forming new tumours in the tissues or organs. Get chemotherapy in North Bengal under the best cancer specialist in Siliguri.
Specific tests help doctors rule out how effectively chemotherapy is working in your case. Such tests/clinical procedures include a physical exam, complete blood count/blood tests, tumor maker tests, MRI, CT scans. Reach out to your healthcare provider routinely because follow-up checkups are a must.
