Topic > Chemotherapy: A Treatment for Cancer - 679

There are many different types of cancer, as well as many different types of treatments. One of the most well-known types of treatments would be chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can be used for a wide range of different cancers and diseases, and each of the different cancers or diseases requires a different group, and sometimes order, of chemicals to adequately treat the cancer or disease. These chemicals include: alkylating agents, antimetabolites, anthracyclines, topoisomerase inhibitors, mitotic inhibitors, corticosteroids, and more. Each of these drugs listed above has its own types of cancer or disease that it can help treat. Some of these cancers include: leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, sarcoma, also types of lung, breast, intestinal tract, prostate, gastrointestinal tract, and ovarian cancers. However, these chemicals and chemical mixtures can have their side effects. Although chemotherapy saves lives, like other medicines, it has its side effects. The side effects of chemotherapy, however, are more extreme than what you would see on the back of a medicine bottle. The most common side effects of chemo are nausea and vomiting, fatigue, hair loss, pain; such as headaches, muscle aches, stomach pain, and pain due to nerve damage such as burning, numbness, and shooting pains, all of which are most commonly felt in the fingers and toes; sores in the throat or mouth, diarrhoea, constipation and blood disorders. There is a specific side effect that patients worry about called chemo brain. Chemotherapy brain may be noticed by patients before, after, or during chemotherapy. Chemo brain is what happens when a cancer patient develops a clouded memory. Cancer survivors who have, or have had c...... middle of paper... are only getting more and more successful, and that treatment is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy has its side effects, but for the most part I believe that it is worth enduring the pain and suffering, mentally, emotionally and physically, to survive and overcome such a tragedy. Unfortunately the only cure we have for such diseases can cause things like chemo brain effects on the memory of cancer patients and survivors. Chemo brain can make simple things more difficult for cancer survivors. Although these cancers and diseases are very deadly, scientists, chemists, and oncologists are working hard to make it more survivable than they already have. There are ways to cure or prevent these diseases naturally by simply eating healthy. They are also trying to improve the mixtures and uses of chemicals to treat and prevent cancer and previously listed diseases.