Chemotherapy For Cancer Patients: Side Effects, Cost & Effectiveness

Chemotherapy is one of the major cancer treatments. Many thought that chemotherapy had strong side effects and a miserable process. However, with medical advancement, the side effects of chemo drugs have been reduced, and cancer patients could relieve the side effects of chemotherapy by using antiemetic and antibiotics.

What is Chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy is an aggressive form of chemical drug therapy meant to destroy rapidly growing cells in the body by hindering cell division. It is usually used to treat cancer, as cancer cells grow and divide faster than other types of cells.

According to the size and spread of the tumour and the conditions, chemotherapy may be employed or used in combination with other cancer treatments, such as radiation therapy, targeted drug therapy and surgery.

How Does Chemotherapy Work?

Compared to local treatments, namely radiotherapy and surgery, chemotherapy is a full-body treatment that works on throughout all the blood vessels and cells.

Cancer cells grow and divide rapidly. Chemotherapy is designed to destroy cancer cells by stopping this process. However, both cancer cells and normal cells are killed during the course of treatment. Normal cells with a higher growth rate, such as skill, hair, intestinal and myeloid cells, are deterred. That is why the side effects occur.

What is Chemotherapy Used For?

Depending on the type and spread of cancer, chemotherapy is usually used for:

1. Curing cancer: Under some circumstances, chemotherapy can destroy cancer cells. Ideally, it stops the cells from growing, but it is not the case every time.
2. Controlling the tumour growth: Stop cancer cells from spreading or slow the growth of the tumour.
3. Relieving symptoms: Shrink tumour size to ease the pain caused and pressure created, but it may not stop the tumour from growing further.

How is Chemotherapy Conducted?

Before chemotherapy, your doctor must explain the entire treatment process, including the medications, efficiency and side effects, by having a face-to-face consultation with you. Then, your doctor would perform blood and urine tests to determine whether chemotherapy is suitable for you regarding the test result. After signing the ‘chemotherapy agreement’, your doctor would prescribe respective chemo drugs and dosage according to your conditions.

During the treatment, regular blood tests are required. If the test results show abnormalities, your doctor may halt the treatment and restart it once your blood cells resume normal.

Chemotherapy usually comes in the forms below:

• Intravenous (IV) injection: Inject chemo drugs into the vein directly
• Other injection: Inject medicine into muscles, subcutaneous fats, intra-arterial (IA) injection, intraperitoneal injection (IP) and colony-stimulating factor injection (CSF) etc.
• Topical: Apply on the skin the form of ointment
• Oral: Pills or fluid

Side Effects of Chemotherapy

The side effects are observed during and weeks after the treatments. Most side effects of chemotherapy subside when treatment is over.

However, the side effects vary among individuals in terms of severity. Some may not experience any, but some may be affected adversely. In general, longer chemotherapy treatments and greater dosage of chemo drugs result in more severe side effects.

The common side effects of chemotherapy include:

• Fatigue
• Hair loss
• Easy bruising and excessive bleeding
• Prone to infection
• Anaemia (Drop in the number of red blood cells)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Loss of appetite and change in taste
• Constipation
• Diarrhoea
• Mouth, tongue and throat issues, such as sore, ulcers, swallowing problems
• Neuropathy (Numbness, tingling and pain from nerve damage)
• Nail and skin changes, such as dry skin and colour change
• Kidney and bladder problem
• Weight loss
• Chemo brain (one of the Alzheimer's disease), concentration and memory problem
• Being emotional
• Sexual changes and low sex drive
• Fertility problems, such as loss of fertility or having teratogens
• Photosensitive

Diet for Cancer Patients During Chemotherapy

To relieve the above side effects, you could make the following adjustments to your diet and habits according to your body’s reactions.

Mouth ulcer and swallowing problems

• Consume blended meal to reduce swallowing
• Drink milk powder or dietetic beverages to increase the calorie intake
• Drink more, such as juice, to relieve the discomfort and take in more calories

Diarrhoea

• Eat foods with low fibre, high protein and calories
• Keep hydrated, such as electrolyte drinks
• Choose foods and drinks with high potassium, such as baked potato, asparagus and banana
• Eat small and more frequent meals

Loss of appetite and change in taste

• Eat sour candies
• Take a walk before a meal
• Change the settings and environment of meals (picnic or candlelight dinner)
• Use plastic containers to reduce the sense of metal
• Try sugar-free chewing gum

Nausea and vomiting

• Eat small and more frequent meals; chew and swallow slowly
• Drink water one hour before and after each meal instead of during the meals
• Eat light and avoid sweet and oily foods
• If you feel nausea during the therapy, keep your stomach empty a few hours before the subsequent treatment

Although there are numerous cautions regarding the diet during the chemotherapy, having a balanced diet and staying positive are the keys to recovery in the fight against cancer.

Estimated Costs of Chemotherapy in Hong Kong

According to the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, the medicine and preparation costs are around $2,400 per day. Medication is separately charged at cost, not to mention the fees incurred from the examination, hospitalisation and consultation. The actual costs of treatment are enormous.

Data from Hong Kong Breast Cancer Foundation shows that treating breast cancer costs HK$100,000 to 150,000. Even though there are programmes providing financial aids for buying self-financed cancer drugs, the enormous costs incurred are still a financial and physical burden for many.

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