Chemotherapy for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
If you have been detected with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, then the most difficult phase of your life might be about to begin. Doctors now will determine which form of treatment will be the best for you.
Although there are many common methods of treatment, selecting one of them depends on how deep the disease has spread in the body. If the disease is still in stage one, then local methods like radiation may be used. But if the disease has spread deep and several organs are involved, then chemotherapy might be used.
Chemotherapy involves the use of several chemicals to treat and completely remove the cancerous cells. Chemotherapy or chemo as it is known in short is also used for the treatment of several other cancers. The chemicals or drugs are either consumed orally or may be injected into the body of the patient. The drugs then enter the blood stream and launch an attack on the cancerous cells. The aim of these drugs is to completely destroy or limit the growth of the cancer cells, thereby limiting the ability of the cancer to spread to other organs.
Terms and facts
When it comes to chemo there are certain terms that you may come across every now and then. Understanding these terms will help you to cope with the disease and also to understand the treatment. One of these terms is dose. This means the amount of chemotherapy that will be carried on in one session. Similarly, a cycle means a period of a number of days when you will be undergoing chemotherapy. You may have to undergo a few cycles before you stop.
While chemotherapy is one of the most effective means of combating the cancer, there are certain serious side effects on the human body. From mild effects like head aches, there are serious ones as well like intense bouts of nausea, hair loss etc.
The drugs used in chemo target the cancerous cells which grow rapidly. Hair follicles found on the body are also a similar type of cell which grows randomly. Hence these cells are also destroyed by the drugs. More than the physical pain, it is the mental trauma that the patient undergoes that is tedious. However, the hair loss experienced during chemo is only temporary and hair often returns when treatment is stopped.
Other side effects
There are other side effects as well like sores in the mouth which can be extremely painful, anemia and diarrhea. However, there are counter medicines available which reduce the intensity of these side effects. Also proper counseling, the support of the loved ones and proper treatment can make it far less difficult.
You need to understand that the main aim of the drugs is to eliminate the cancerous cells completely from the body. If you look at the side effects as obstacles in the way, then you can cope with it. While there are many other forms of treatment, chemo is still the most recommended and used form of treatment.