The Benefits of Chemotherapy and Its Side Effects for Cancer Patients

MANADO – Chemotherapy is a procedure to treat cancer by eradicating cancer cells cancer in the patient’s body by using drugs. These drugs work by killing, preventing the spread, or stopping the growth of cancer cells.

This was explained by Dr. Harlinda Haroen in a healthy talk show entitled ‘Managing Cancer with Chemotherapy’ held by Siloam Hospital Manado, Friday (18/2/2022). Also read: Ari Lasso Completed Chemotherapy and was declared free of cancer, this is what the manager said

Doctor Harlinda explained, chemotherapy can be given either orally in the form of drugs taken orally, or in the form of injections such as through an IV. “Chemotherapy works on proliferating cells, which means cells that are constantly growing, such as hair, for cells that are not proliferating, such as muscle, bone, nerve and brain cells,” said the Internal Medicine Specialist.

There are also benefits of giving chemotherapy, he continued, to cure cancers such as leukemia, prolong life, prolong cancer-free intervals, and stop cancer progression. “In addition, it can also reduce the volume of cancer and as palliative therapy and relieve symptoms due to drugs,” he said.

Dr. Harlinda continued, because of the limited benefits of chemotherapy, it is sometimes combined with other treatments to get better benefits.

Doctor Harlinda explained that there was adjuvant chemotherapy, which is chemotherapy given after surgery. Meanwhile, chemotherapy given before surgery is called neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. While palliative chemotherapy is to reduce the size of the tumor that causes pain or difficulty breathing.

“There are principles that must be considered, namely when we choose chemotherapy drugs. So, we must have the right indication, type, dose, time and method, and be aware of side effects,” he added.

To be able to choose the most appropriate drug for the patient, he continued, there are several factors that need to be considered. Among other things, the type of cancer, whether the patient is hemosensitive to the cancer, how much of the cancer population is there, and how large the percentage of cancer cells killed, the growth cycle of cancer cells, and the patient’s/patient’s immune system.

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