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Chemotherapy
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Chemotherapy is a "systemic treatment." This means it can attack cells throughout the body. This is one reason chemotherapy is often used to treat blood-related cancers. In blood-related cancers, cancer cells are often spread throughout the body by the bloodstream. Chemotherapy is ... used to treat other types of cancer.
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Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with drugs that can destroy cancer cells by impeding their growth and reproduction. These drugs often are called "anticancer" drugs. Chemotherapy drugs are given intravenously, by injection or by mouth. Chemotherapy is often used alone, or in conjunction with radiation therapy or surgery.
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Chemotherapy for patients with glioblastoma multiforme occasionally raises an important question as to timing. Specifically, although chemotherapy is beneficial, it is not known whether the timing of administration after radiation is important, particularly for older patients. Some centers in the United States now save chemotherapy until there is evidence that the tumor is growing after radiation therapy in these older patients. This may mean that months could elapse between the end of radiation treatment and the beginning of chemotherapy, allowing the patient to recover strength. Other specialists prefer to give chemotherapy immediately after radiation therapy and to give different chemotherapy when the tumor starts to grow again. This decision has to made on a patient-by-patient basis.
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Chemotherapy can cause irritation and dryness in the mouth and throat. An inflammation in the mouth is called stomatitis. Painful sores may form that can bleed and become infected. Precautions to avoid this side effect include getting dental care before chemotherapy begins, brushing the teeth and gums regularly with a soft brush, and avoiding mouth washes that contain salt or alcohol. Good oral hygiene is important. It is helpful for some patients to chew on ice chips for half an hour during chemotherapy treatments, but this should be discussed with the doctor before it is done.
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Chemotherapy may ... be given when the cancer has spread to another part of the body (secondary or advanced cancer). Many people have no further problems after their original treatment for cancer of the large bowel, but unfortunately in some people the cancer comes back or spreads to other parts of the body. This is called secondary (or metastatic) cancer of the large bowel. Sometimes, when the cancer is first diagnosed, it may already have spread beyond the bowel. The most common place for cancer of the bowel to spread to is the liver. The next most common place is the lungs.
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Chemotherapy is usually described as being given in cycles. A cycle is the time period over which the scheduled chemo-therapy is be given. It includes rest periods. The temozolomide regimen consists of multiple four-week cycles (28 days each). Chemotherapy is taken on the mornings of days 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. No chemotherapy is taken on days 6 - 28.
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