Chemotherapy Treatment Abroad - Medical Tourism

Many years of research and testing have shown that chemotherapy is an effective treatment for many types of cancer. Chemotherapy involves the use of certain medications in the treatment of cancer, and has played an important role for more than 50 years. It may be the only form of treatment a patient receives or it may be accompanied by other therapies, such as surgery or radiation therapy.

Rapidly-dividing cells are destroyed by chemotherapy. These cells include both cancer cells and also healthy cells that tend to divide quickly - such as bone marrow cells, those in the gastrointestinal tract, in the reproductive system, and also in hair follicles. The healthy cells normally recover when the series of chemotherapy treatments has been completed. Hair, for example, begins to grow again.

Procedure information

Drugs used in chemotherapy can be given in a variety of forms. It is the oncologist who decides which form, or combination of forms, will be used, based on the patient’s type of cancer. The different forms of chemotherapy include intravenous, oral, topical and injection treatments. Intravenous chemotherapy allows for rapid distribution of the medication throughout the body. Topical and injection forms are used to treat more localized sites.

Recovery time

Treatments are usually scheduled in cycles: a treatment will be followed by a recovery period, and then another treatment will be given. Chemotherapy treatment can be administered in either an inpatient or outpatient setting. In fact, most patients are not treated on an inpatient basis, but rather in a doctor’s office or clinic.

Most of the short-term side effects can be alleviated with medication and nearly all subside soon after the cessation of treatment. The oncologist will prescribe medication to relieve nausea or increase blood counts, for example. It is important for a patient to let the oncologist know about any side effects that may occur and if they are difficult to endure, a different course of treatment may be prescribed.