| Medical Dictionary |
A Medical Dictionary of Medical Terminology
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Cancer chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment. It uses medicines to destroy cancer cells.
Normally, the cells in your body grow and die in a controlled way. Cancer cells keep growing without control. Chemotherapy works by killing the cancer cells, stopping them from spreading, or slowing their growth.
Chemotherapy is used to:
Chemotherapy does not just destroy cancer cells. It can also harm some healthy cells, which causes side effects.
You may have a lot of side effects, some side effects, or none at all. It depends on the type and amount of chemotherapy you get and how your body reacts.
Some common side effects are:
There are ways to prevent or control some side effects. Talk with your health care provider about how to manage them. Healthy cells usually recover after chemotherapy is over, so most side effects gradually go away.
What can I expect when getting chemotherapy?You may get chemotherapy in a hospital or at home, a doctor's office, or a medical clinic. You might be given the medicines by mouth, in a shot, as a cream, through a catheter, or intravenously (by IV).
Your treatment plan will depend on the type of cancer you have, which chemotherapy medicines are used, the treatment goals, and how your body responds to the medicines.
Chemotherapy may be given alone or with other treatments. You may get treatment every day, every week, or every month. You may have breaks between treatments so that your body has a chance to build new healthy cells.
NIH: National Cancer Institute
Cancer is a common disease. Almost 40 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetimes. Even though cancer may be life-threatening, many people have successful treatment. Others live with cancer for a very long time.
For most people with cancer, learning to live with the disease is one of the biggest challenges they've ever faced. That's because having cancer touches just about every part of your life and the lives of those around you.
Cancer and its treatment may change:
You may feel more in control and prepared to cope with these changes if you learn about what to expect. Your health care provider can help you find information and support services that are right for you.
Coping with feelings about having cancerHaving cancer may cause a range of strong emotions, such as sadness, anger, fear, worry, or guilt. These feelings are normal, and they're likely to change over time. It's helpful to sort out your feelings in a way that's comfortable for you. You might try:
If your emotions seem to take over your life, tell your provider. You may need extra support if you have symptoms of depression, stress, anxiety, or panic disorder.
Communicating with your health care teamDuring cancer treatment, you usually have a team of providers. Along with doctors and nurses, you may be able to talk with social workers, pharmacists, dietitians, and other health professionals.
These professionals are prepared to help you deal with the issues that cancer brings up, including concerns about finances. But it's up to you to let your team know what's on your mind.
Good communication with your providers may help you feel more in control and satisfied with your care. Your communications may be better if you:
Cancer changes the daily routines and roles of the people who love and support you. They may need to start doing the things you've always done for them. And you may need their help doing things you've always done for yourself. These changes can be difficult for everyone.
It may help to have an honest talk about changing roles and needs. If that sounds too difficult, ask a social worker or other member of your care team to help you talk with family and friends who are helping with your care. These caregivers may need some support, too.
Dealing with changes in your self-imageCancer and its treatment may cause some big changes in how you look, feel, and think about yourself. For example, you may have:
Coping with these changes can be hard. But most people find ways to feel more positive over time. If you feel well enough, you might try:
After treatment, you'll have regular cancer follow-up care. Your provider will explain the schedule of checkups and tests you'll need. This is a good time to discuss the challenges you may face ahead. Knowing what to expect may help you make plans as you find a "new normal" with cancer as part of your life.
NIH: National Cancer Institute
Every day, you have different experiences and you learn new things. Your brain cannot store all of that information, so it has to decide what is worth remembering. Memory is the process of storing and then remembering this information. There are different types of memory. Short-term memory stores information for a few seconds or minutes. Long-term memory stores it for a longer period of time.
Memory doesn't always work perfectly. As you grow older, it may take longer to remember things.
It's normal to forget things once in a while. We've all forgotten a name, where we put our keys, or if we locked the front door. If you are an older adult who forget things more often than others your age, you may have mild cognitive impairment. Forgetting how to use your phone or find your way home may be signs of a more serious problem, such as:
If you're worried about your forgetfulness, see your health care provider.
NIH: National Institute on Aging