A Few Myths Concerning Chemotherapy
Cancer is one of the most serious conditions that a person can develop. When suffering from this potentially life-threatening disease, you will likely need to undergo chemotherapy. While this type of treatment can help to neutralize the harmful cancer cells, there are patients that do not have much information about these life-saving treatments.
Myth: Chemotherapy Always Requires Many Hours To Complete
Individuals that have recently been diagnosed with cancer may be concerned that their chemo treatments will be extremely inconvenient to undergo. While it is possible for these treatments to need several hours to complete, this is not always the case. The exact amount of time that is needed for these treatments will vary based on the severity of the cancer.
For some patients, these treatments may be able to be administered in less than an hour, but your doctor will be able to provide you with a better understanding of what your particular chemo treatments will involve after they have evaluated your particular condition. You should be aware that you may feel very weak after you have these treatments administered. In fact, there are some patients that may not be able to drive after these sessions, and you may want to arrange for transportation so that you do not have to worry about driving while you are in a weakened state.
Myth: Chemo Treatments Can Only Be Administered At A Medical Facility
It is often assumed that when you need to undergo chemotherapy, you will always have to receive these treatments at a medical facility. This is often assumed due to a belief that chemo delivery is always through injections or intravenous solutions. Luckily, some patients may be able to administer these medications from the comfort of their homes. If you are given this option, it is imperative that you closely follow the instructions provided by your doctor to ensure that these treatments are as effective as possible in battling your cancer.
Myth: Chemo Will Make You Feel Better Immediately
Chemotherapy works by destroying the cancer cells, but it is a reality that this therapy is unable to differentiate between normal cells and cancerous ones. Due to this, it can be possible for you to actually feel worse after you start these treatments. In particular, it is common for individuals to experience body pain and nausea as a result of these therapy sessions. While these side effects can be rather unpleasant, they must be endured to destroy the cancer cells before they can spread throughout the body.