Cancer treatment side effect reduction
Understanding side effects and adverse reactions
Cancer treatment, whether it be chemotherapy or radiation, has the ability to kill cancer cells. Normal cells can also be destroyed at the same time, despite the fact that normal cells are resistant to destruction. Treatment is almost often accompanied by side effects. Nonetheless, each patient’s response to treatment is unique. Some people experience more and others experience fewer negative effects. As a result, no one can accurately estimate the severity of any potential side effects.
Radiation therapy is typically used in conjunction with surgery in order to penetrate and remove cells. This therapeutic approach, in general, destroys the complete DNA of the cell, including both malignant and normal cells. Radiation therapy side effects vary depending on the area bombarded, the duration of the treatment, and the type of radiotherapy employed.
Chemotherapy, on the other hand, is a treatment that employs cytotoxic agents. The treatment’s purpose is to try to halt the proliferation of cancer cells. The majority of chemotherapy medications are made to kill quickly dividing cells. However, studies have shown that side effects generally worsen patients’ quality of life throughout chemotherapy. Chemotherapy side effects vary based on the chemotherapy agent used and the sensitivity of the patients to the chemotherapy drug.
Chemotherapy kills both cancerous and non-cancerous cells in vast quantities. Chemotherapy is unable to distinguish between rapidly dividing normal and malignant cells. Normal cells that divide quickly, such as hair cells, skin cells, nails, gastrointestinal epithelial cells, and the spinal cord, are frequently impacted. Weak hair follicles, loose nails, drooping skin, and cold periphery are all visible adverse symptoms in certain people. Apart from the symptoms listed above, inflammation in the patient’s body might cause fatigue, decreased appetite, muscular wasting, and other issues.
The integrated cancer treatment approach recognizes the importance of cancer patients’ quality of life after treatment. The key is to minimize the destruction of normal cells as well as the symptoms that patients experience. To better fight cancer, the integrative treatment pathway boosts immunity and protects the body from further invasion of foreign bodies.
