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| Site Navigation | Lymphoma Treatment: Chemotherapy |
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| Chemotherapy is the use of drugs
to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Each drug has one or more methods to kill
cells - most stop certain cell growth by interrupting the cell division process. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drugs enter the bloodstream, travel through the body, and can kill cancer cells throughout the body. Chemotherapy is delivered many different ways depending on the drugs and treatment. Intravenous means delivered by inserting a needle in a vein, orally is by mouth, and via catheter or port is by a tube inserted into the chest via a surgical procedure. Combination Chemotherapy is the use of a number of drugs together to combat the cancer. They often have acronyms for names like CHOP and ABVD. Bone marrow transplantation
(BMT) and peripheral
blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) are the use of high doses of chemotherapy with a
rescue of the immune system afterwards. More on the Transplantation
Information Page. Chemotherapy can be very tough on both body and spirit. Side effects are common - some drugs cause hair loss, nausea, and low blood cell counts. The side effects vary by drug and combination of drugs. You can read more about these effects when researching individual drugs and drug combinations. Chemotherapy is the culmination of years of research and clinical trials - many of the mainstream combinations are very effective treatments. New drugs are in development by many pharmaceutical companies, promising new, effective treatments. Chemotherapy Drugs There are many, many different drugs currently in use for cancer and a number of those are used for lymphoma:
Catheters
Side Effects Supportive Care
Bone Marrow and Peripheral Blood Cell Information
Clinical Trials
Return Links - Therapy: [Chemo Drugs] [Radiotherapy] [Immunotherapy] [Transplants] Return Links - Conditions: [Adult Hodgkin's]
[Adult Non-Hodgkin's] The Main Page - your guide to support and more: This page is a work in progress - if you have more complete information, references, or other information please contact the author. The author is not in the medical field and does not warrant the correctness of the material on this page or the sites linked - please take online information and consult with your own medical team to make informed decisions. Copyright © 1999-2004 Lymphoma Information
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