Why Should You Not Skip Your Chemotherapy Cycles?

The 7-day rule in chemotherapy is more of a guideline for scheduling chemo cycles. The goal of this rule is to balance the killing of cancer cells with giving the body sufficient rest. The 7-day rule of chemotherapy involves:

• Treatment days followed by rest days
Chemotherapy cycles may be planned in such a way that there will be 5 days of chemo with 2 days of rest, all within 7 days (roughly).
• Maintaining drug levels:
7-day rule helps ensure that there is enough chemo in the body to fight cancer.
• Minimizing side effects:
Rest days allow the patient to recover from chemo's harsh effects.
• Neutropenia management:
Chemotherapy often leads to neutropenia, which is a decrease in infection-fighting neutrophils. The 7-day rule helps in the careful scheduling of the treatment and reduces the risk of neutropenia.

The medical oncologists will know better when to stop chemotherapy treatment for pancreatic cancer. Generally, any cancer treatment, including chemotherapy, is stopped when the treatment response is poor, i.e., the tumor continues to grow and spread to different parts.

In such cases, the doctor may recommend other treatments. Once the patient exhausts all their treatment options, they may be recommended to enrol in clinical trials for pancreatic cancer management.

It is important to note that pancreatic cancer is aggressive, and after a certain stage, this disease can only be delayed and survival can be prolonged.

For early-stage cancers, surgery is the first line of treatment, and it is alone enough to treat cancer in some cases. However, in most cases, surgery is accompanied by other treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Combining chemotherapy with surgery improves the overall treatment effectiveness and supports a better recovery. When administered after the surgery, chemotherapy kills the cancer cells that may be left behind.

That said, your doctor will know what the best course of treatment for your case is, and if they include chemotherapy in your treatment plan, then it is advised that you adhere to it.

Chemotherapy is associated with various nutrition-related side effects, such as mouth sores, changes in the sense of smell and taste, loss of appetite, mouth sores, nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea. These side effects can make it challenging for chemotherapy patients to consume food. Therefore, it is important for patients to consider talking to an onco-dietician for appropriate nutritional guidance.

Chemotherapy patients are advised to consume foods that are bland, lukewarm to cold, and rich in calories and nutrients. Some of the best foods that you can consume after chemotherapy include oatmeal, bread toast, plain pasta, rice, fruits and vegetables, etc. It is also necessary to optimize your fluid intake to avoid dehydration.

Most of the side effects associated with chemotherapy may wear off sometime after the treatment. However, it is important to note that the side effects associated with chemotherapy may vary from patient to patient, and therefore, the duration they last may also be different.

Before the treatment, the patients and their caregivers will be informed about the possible side effects, how long they last, and how to manage them. If patients are having a hard time managing their side effects, they must talk to their expert team for appropriate intervention.

The duration of the chemotherapy session depends on the type of chemotherapy administered. Oral chemotherapy may take a few seconds, whereas other modes of chemotherapy administration, such as intravenous, intramuscular, intraperitoneal, etc., may take several minutes to a few hours.

Chemotherapy is classified into various types based on the class of chemotherapy drugs and mode of administration. Based on their mode of action, chemotherapy drugs are classified into alkylating agents, antimetabolites, topoisomerase inhibitors, anti-tumor inhibitors, nitrosoureas, anthracyclines, and plant alkaloids.

The different types of chemotherapy depending on the mode of administration include oral chemotherapy, topical chemotherapy, intravenous chemotherapy, intramuscular chemotherapy, intraperitoneal chemotherapy (stomach cavity), intravesical chemotherapy (bladder cavity), intrapleural chemotherapy (chest cavity), intrathecal cavity (brain and CNS), and HIPEC.

Yes, chemotherapy drugs are anti-cancerous in nature and therefore can kill cancer cells.

Yes, pain after chemotherapy may be seen in some patients. 2-3 days after chemotherapy, patients may experience pain in joints and muscles. This pain can be managed with medication.

In most cases, cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy can lead a normal life. The side effects often wear off within a few weeks after the last session of the treatment, and the patients will slowly be able to return to their routine activities.

The expert team will also share certain post-treatment guidelines for patients, including healthy coping strategies for different side effects associated with treatment and lifestyle modifications that will help them return to their routine activities more seamlessly.

That said, in some cases, depending on factors like the type of cancer treated, its stage, the chemo drugs infused, and the patient’s overall health, some patients may experience moderate to severe side effects, which may demand them to make significant changes to their life after their treatment. In such cases, the expert team will always be there with the patient to help them with necessary medical interventions and additional support.

The cost of chemotherapy can vary from one patient to another, depending on multiple factors.

For some cases of cancer, chemotherapy may be cost-effective, and for others, it may not.

The cost of chemotherapy depends on the following factors:

• The type of cancer
• Stage of cancer
• Chemotherapy drugs administered
• The duration of chemotherapy treatment
• The goal of chemotherapy treatment
• The patient’s overall health condition
• The kind of hospital facility
• Post-treatment complications experienced, if any.

Chemotherapy can cause various side effects, and these can vary from one patient to another, and so can their severity.

Some of the most serious side effects that are going to need immediate medical attention include:

Neutropenia: Neutropenia refers to the significant decrease in the white blood cells, which are essential for fighting off infections. Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia can increase the risk of various bacterial and viral infections that can be life-threatening.

Mucositis: Mucositis is one of the serious side effects of chemotherapy, wherein the chemo drugs cause inflammation and ulceration in the mucous lining of the digestive tract. Mucositis causes severe pain, difficulty eating, and severe infections. In severe cases, mucositis can prompt the slowdown of treatments or reduction of doses.

Anemia: Chemo treatments can affect red blood cell production, which leads to reduced hemoglobin levels, causing anemia. Anemia causes fatigue, tiredness, and weakness, which in turn can negatively impact the patient’s ability to withstand chemotherapy treatments.

Mouth Sores: Some chemotherapy drugs can cause painful mouth sores, making eating, drinking, and talking difficult for patients. Mouth sores often lead to dehydration and malnutrition, which negatively impact the well-being of patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Organ Damage: In some cases, chemo treatments can cause temporary and permanent damage to organs like the heart, lungs, kidneys, and liver. Organ damage caused by chemotherapy may often need continuous monitoring during and after the chemo treatment.

Increased Risk of Secondary Cancers: Those who have undergone chemotherapy may have a risk of secondary cancers in the primary site or a different site in the body. Therefore, it is necessary for patients to not miss their follow-up appointments after their treatment. These appointments will help them catch recurrences in their early stages.

The duration of chemotherapy depends on various factors, including the type of cancer, its stage, the chemotherapy drug administered, the goal or intent of chemotherapy, and the individual treatment response.

Generally, chemotherapy is recommended for 3 to 6 months. Adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemo treatments have relatively shorter durations when compared to maintenance chemotherapy and palliative chemotherapy, which are recommended for longer durations.

The experience with chemotherapy can vary from one patient to another. Some may experience multiple side effects at once, while others may not have any serious side effects at all.

Chemotherapy patients often report that the first few days after the first session are often the hardest. Reactions are often seen a few hours after the infusion, and they may be mild to moderate, which wear off by themselves or may need medical interventions.

That said, not all patients undergoing chemotherapy will experience reactions or side effects immediately. Lastly, it is important for patients to get in touch with their expert team in such cases, as it will help them receive timely medical interventions.