The Basics Of Chemotherapy

The type of treatment you are given for your cancer depends on many factors, particularly the type of cancer you have, where in the body it started, what the cancer cells look like under the microscope and how far they have spread, if at all.

Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells. It can be just one drug or several drugs, taken from a choice of about 50 different drugs available.

Chemotherapy may be used alone to treat cancer or together with surgery and/or radiotherapy.

Chemotherapy drugs work by interfering with the ability of a cancer cell to divide and reproduce itself. The affected cells become damaged and eventually die. As the drugs are carried in the blood, they can reach cancer cells all over the body.

The drugs damage the cancer cells in different ways. If a combination of drugs is used, each drug is chosen because of its different effects. Unfortunately, chemotherapy drugs can also affect normal cells in your body, sometimes causing unpleasant side effects. Unlike cancer cells, however, normal cells quickly regrow, so any damage to them is usually temporary and most side effects will disappear once the treatment is over.

Chemotherapy has to be carefully planned so that it progressively destroys the cancer during the course of treatment, but not the normal cells and tissues.

Unfortunately, during the process of eliminating cancerous cells, healthy cells are also damaged, and many side effects can develop. Several nutritional approaches show promise for alleviating side effects and/or increasing the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatment.

People undergoing chemotherapy and experiencing side effects may find some relief in homeopathic remedies. These remedies are not intended as substitutes for treatment, nor should they be considered part of the therapy. Homeopathic remedies are safe, non-toxic, and do not interfere with the treatment.

Nutritional supplements and herbs that may help chemotherapy -

The nutrients mentioned above reflect the major nutritional supplements that may help the condition. Please do remember however that nutritional supplementation is an adjunct to medical treatment and in no way replaces medical treatment.

  • Kurbacher CM, Wagner U, Kolster B, et al. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) improves the antineoplastic activity of doxorubicin, cisplatin, and paclitaxel in human breast carcinoma cells in vitro. Cancer Letters 1996:103 - 19.
  • Wagdi P, Fluri M, Aeschbacher B, et al. Cardioprotection in patients undergoing chemo- and/or radiotherapy for neoplastic disease. Jpn Heart J 1996;37:353 - 9.
  • Pace JC. Oral ingestion of encapsulated ginger and reported self care actions for the relief of chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting. Dissertaion Abstr Internat 1987:8:3297.

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