Chemotherapy is a specialized medication used in the treatment of cancer. There are many different types of chemotherapy medications. Cancer is an often rapid and unpredictable multiplying of unhealthy cells. Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment that kills these cells in their reproducing stages to stop them from spreading or slow their growth. Chemotherapy also kills healthy cells, which leads to side effects.
We administer all treatments in-office in our infusion suite by our experienced and certified nursing staff. Each treatment is delivered under supervision of our Providers. Labs are always reviewed prior to each treatment for safety.
Chemotherapy may be given alone or with other treatments such as radiation or surgery. Dependent upon a patient’s plan, chemotherapy may be intravenously (IV), by mouth in pill form, or by injections. Therapy can range from weekly, bi-weekly, every three weeks, or monthly. Many factors go into your treatment planning and are always discussed in detail with the patient prior to any initiation. Factors include cancer type, stage, prognosis, side effects, and of course patient goals.
Everyone’s bodies react differently to medications. Side effects and toxicity profiles are always discussed in detail as part of chemotherapy teaching. Some common side effects are fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, pain, and hair loss. We have great experience with controlling some of the side effects with medications provided by our in house pharmacy or available for pick up at the pharmacy of your choice. Most side effects are short term and resolve with completion of therapy.
