Chemotherapy
The
use of drugs or drugs to treat cancer is chemotherapy. Unlike surgery
or radiation therapies that remove, kill, or damage cancer in a specific
area, chemo works throughout the body and can be used to kill cancer
cells that have spread to other parts of the body. Chemotherapy can be
used to cure cancer, control cancer, or for palliation.
Common
side effects associated with chemotherapy include fatigue, hair loss,
easy bruising and bleeding, anemia, infection, changes in appetite,
nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, problems with the mouth,
tongue and throat (such as pain on swallowing and ulcers). ), nail and
skin changes, bladder and urine changes, kidney problems, weight
changes, mood swings, fertility problems, and changes in sexual function
and libido. It is important to remember that just because all of these
side effects exist does not mean that you will experience them. Maybe
you only have a few or maybe none at all. Chemotherapy treatment affects
each person differently.
Immunotherapy
Using the body's immune system to fight cancer is called immunotherapy. Meanwhile it can be done in two ways:
- Through stimulating your immune system to attack cancer cells or generally work harder.
- By giving your immune system components, such as man-made proteins.
Immunotherapy works better for certain types of cancer than others. It is sometimes used as the sole treatment and sometimes in combination with other treatments. Immunotherapy can be given intravenously (IV), orally, topically, or intravesically (directly into the bladder).
The Main Forms of Immunotherapy Currently used to Treat Cancer are:
- The monoclonal antibodies - man-made proteins that can be designed to attack specific parts of cancer cells.
- The immune checkpoint inhibitors - drugs that help the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells.
- Cancer vaccines - substances introduced into the body to trigger an immune response.
- Non-specific immunotherapies - These generally strengthen the immune system, allowing it to attack cancer cells.
The
side effects you may get with immunotherapy treatment depend on the
type of immunotherapy you receive, but in general the possible side
effects include skin reactions at the needle site, The flu-like symptoms
(fever, chills, weakness, nausea or vomiting). dizziness, tiredness,
joint or muscle pain, difficulty breathing, headache, high or low blood
pressure), weight gain due to fluid retention, swelling, sinus
congestion, palpitations and risk of infection.
Knowledge is power
The
chance that you will develop cancer depends on several factors. Your
lifestyle is one. Therefore the healthier you are, the stronger your
cancer prevention. Another factor is genetics. Do you know if you have a
genetic predisposition that increases your chances of developing
certain cancers? Getting this information will help you make the right
choices to optimize your cancer prevention lifestyle