Oral Chemotherapy

What is oral chemotherapy? The term refers to the way of administering chemotherapy, namely taking chemo drugs by mouth. Chemotherapy is medicine used in treating cancer and the ways to apply it are multiple. Nowadays, due to progress in cancer treatments and research, patients benefit from many different types of chemotherapy that can be taken in as tablet, liquid or capsule. Thus any drug that can be taken by mouth to treat cancer belongs to oral chemotherapy. The effects of pills will be the same, with the mention that they are more likely to trigger adverse reactions because of the impact on the digestive tract.

Some chemotherapy drugs can never be taken orally as they cannot be absorbed in the stomach or they can cause harm if swollen. As a matter of fact, most of the chemotherapy drugs are introduced into the patient’s veins by means of injecting it through an intravenous line. In the case of oral chemotherapy, the treatment is more facile as the patient can do it at home, without being forced to go to hospital every time it is applied.

A good way to administer oral chemotherapy is by giving it in cycles. Thus, the possibility to damage healthy cells is reduced and drugs are allowed to destroy more cancerous cells. Obviously, the doctor is the one who will decide how frequently (daily, weekly, monthly, etc) medication will be taken. Anyway, Anyway, the anti-cancer treatment scheme proposed by the specialist ought to be discussed with the patient so that she/he may know what lies ahead in terms of challenges, difficulties and success rate. Only when one is informed and convinced of the efficiency of the treatment, can one decide to begin it.

Although oral chemotherapy drugs are not as strong as the others and although they do not affect the patients’ stomach, there are side effects of the treatment here too. Tiredness for a few days after beginning the treatment, nausea and vomiting, possible change in the amount of blood cells – anemia, lower capability of the blood to clot, diarrhea or constipation, flu-like symptoms, hair loss, increased risk of infection, kidney or bladder problems, mouth, gum and throat sores, pains, and nerve and muscle problems, are some of the long list of side effects of oral chemotherapy, just the same as those of any other form of chemotherapy treatments. For any of these side effects it is advisable that patients address their doctors for advice and help.