Leukemia Chemotherapy - Benefits And Side Effects

Do you or anyone you know have leukemia?

Chemotherapy is a treatment that uses powerful drugs to destroy cancel cells. These drugs can be given:

• Intravenously, through a vein


• Orally, by mouth


• Through a catheter


• Subcutaneously, injected under the skin


• Intramuscularly, injected into muscle


• Intrathecally, injected into cerebrospinal fluid
  

Chemotherapy for treating leukemia varies greatly because leukemia is of several types. Generally, leukemia treatment combines chemotherapy with various anticancer drugs that destroy cancer cells by preventing them from growing and dividing rapidly.

Catheter: When leukemia chemotherapy treatment is administered in this fashion, a thin, flexible tube is placed in a large vein, most often in the upper chest. Catheter that remains in place is useful for patients who require many IV treatments.

Your practitioner injects drugs into the catheter instead of directly into the vein. This type of drug administration avoids the need for various injections, which can make you feel discomfort and also injure the vein and skin.

Injecting into cerebrospinal fluid: If your doctor discovers cancer cells in the fluid that block the spaces in and around the spinal cord and brain, then your doctor considers intrathecal chemotherapy.

Then your doctor injects this drug directly into the spinal fluid. This method is considered because the drugs by mouth or IV injection don’t reach the cells in spinal cord and brain.

You will receive chemotherapy treatment in the form of cycle i.e. treatment period, recovery period and then another treatment period.

Leukemia chemotherapy can lead to various side effects based on the drug you are taking and the dose. Usually, chemotherapy drugs affect the cancer cells and divide them rapidly, but it can also affect other cells, which include:

Cells in hair root: Chemotherapy drugs can cause hair loss. Though your hair will grow back, the new hair may look different in color and texture.

Blood cells: Blood cells fight against infections, supply oxygen to all parts of the body and help the blood to clot. When the blood cells are affected, you are more susceptible to infections, bruise or bleed easily and feel weak and tired.

Cells at the lining of digestive tract: Chemotherapy causes lip and mouth sores, vomiting, nausea, poor appetite and diarrhea.

Some other side effects of chemotherapy:

• You may have irregular menstrual periods or periods that may stop altogether.


• You may experience menopause symptoms such as vaginal dryness and hot flashes.