Chemotherapy has long and successfully been used to treat cancerous tumors. Chemopreparations destroy malignant cells or slow down the process of division.
In ovarian cancer, chemotherapy is indicated in the following cases:
- If an operation is assigned. With the help of antitumor drugs reduce the size of the tumor before surgery. After surgery, chemotherapy relieves relapse of the disease.
- Applied as the main treatment for certain types of ovarian cancer (especially sensitive to chemotherapy).
- Used in aggressive forms of cancer, when surgery is impossible.
- When spreading metastases.
Chemotherapy is carried out systemically, that is, drugs enter the bloodstream and act on all tissues and cells. Sometimes chemotherapy drugs are injected through a thin tube directly into the abdominal cavity.
Chemotherapy for ovarian cancer
Standard drugs are cytostatic drugs. They suppress the growth of tumor cells and block their reproduction. Chemotherapy consists of several procedures for the administration of medications. Usually it's 5-6 cycles. To restore between meals, take a break for several weeks. The number of procedures depends on the characteristics of the tumor and the effectiveness of the treatment.
Consequences of chemotherapy:
- Inhibition of the hematopoietic function of the body. In severe situations, blood transfusion is done.
- Nausea and loss of appetite. This problem is removed with antiemetic drugs.
- Hair loss . Cells of hair follicles multiply rapidly. Chemopreparations will act on them actively, and hair will fall out. Some time after the cessation of treatment, they will grow again.
- Numbness or tingling in the extremities.
Many patients have difficulty tolerating chemotherapy and are trying to find alternative cancer treatment. At this stage in the development of medical knowledge, there is no effective substitute for this method. Modern scientific achievements allow the creation of drugs that cause minimal damage to healthy cells. The body will recover after treatment. The main thing is to defeat the disease.