PANCREATIC CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY

Pages

PANCREATIC CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY

Categories: Uncategorized | November 26th, 2007 | by admin | no comments

There are a few different type of pancreatic cancer chemotherapy that have been proven to increase the life expectancy. Chemotherapy is not a cure for cancer. It is only a form of treatment for pancreatic cancer and it also has several side effects that you should be aware of if you are considering chemotherapy as a treatment option.

Chemotherapy is a form of drugs that include chemicals, which are designed to kill cancer cells. They come in a pill form or in a liquid injected form in the veins. The drugs are absorbed and travel throughout the bloodstream. Because these drugs travel through the bloodstream, it is a popular form of treatment for cancers that have spread throughout the body. Many doctors believe that it increases the survival rate when pancreatic cancer chemotherapy is following a surgical procedure to remove the cancer in the pancreas.

Several different types of chemotherapy include fluorouracil, gemcitabine, and erlotinib. Flourouracil is also known as 5-FU and used to be the only option for treating pancreatic cancer. However, it wasn’t that effective. Gemcitabine is proving to be an effective drug and is showing success with treatment when it is combined with erlotinib.

It is important to remember that pancreatic cancer chemotherapy is not a cure for cancer. It has had a proven success of extending the life expectancy by suppressing cancer cells from growing, but does not cure the cancer.

There are symptoms associated with chemotherapy that include nausea and vomiting. However, with pancreatic cancer, chances are good you were already doing that. You might experience mouth sores, and you will have an increased chance of infection. Not all people using chemotherapy are subjected to the side effects with the treatment.

Pancreatic cancer chemotherapy is most commonly used to follow up after a surgery to ensure that the cancer will not grow back in the body. There are many considerations when thinking about whether you would want to take a pill or an injection for chemotherapy and what side effects you will have. Discuss with your doctor which type of chemotherapy might be right for you.