Gulf Coast Chemotherapy

One of the options for the treatment of many cancers is chemotherapy. Used to kill the cells cancer has invaded, chemotherapy can be used to treat a large variety of cancers. Infirmary Cancer Care specializes in providing chemotherapy for a wide variety of cancers and will work with you to consider whether this treatment option is the best choice for you.

Call (251) 435-2273 today for more information about how to use chemotherapy to treat your cancer.

What Is Chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that is designed to kill cancer cells to either cure cancer, slow its growth or increase the chances of lasting remission. In other cases, it can be used to control cancer symptoms by shrinking the cancerous area that is causing the most discomfort. While chemotherapy can be used alone, it is most often used with another treatment to combat cancer.

Chemotherapy may be administered as a pill, intravenously, a shot, cream or via a temporary catheter or port. How chemotherapy is administered to you by your doctor depends on the cancer type and its stage, your medical health at the beginning of the treatment and your history with chemotherapy.

What Cancers Can Chemotherapy be Used to Treat?

Infirmary Cancer Care uses chemotherapy to treat the following cancers:

The purpose of chemotherapy is to kill cancer cells. However, this type of treatment may be used for several reasons. It can be used to get rid of cancer, contain metastasis, slow down cancer growth, alleviate symptoms of cancer and keep cancer from metastasizing in the first place. Your doctor is most likely to suggest chemotherapy when surgery alone will not cure the disease.

How to Prepare for a Chemotherapy Appointment

The amount and time of chemotherapy you receive are up to your doctor. You may receive it every day or on a weekly or monthly basis. When planning for your chemotherapy appointment, be sure to:

Have someone else drive you to and home from your appointment.

Rest for 48 hours after treatment.
Obtain assistance with necessities for at least a day after treatment.

The key during chemotherapy treatments is to keep you as comfortable as possible. Our Infirmary Cancer Care staff will keep you as comfortable as possible. Bring reading materials or movies from home to keep you engaged and relaxed during the appointment.

Side Effects of Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is designed to kill cancer cells. Unfortunately, it also kills healthy cells causing many people side effects until the healthy cells grow back. Since chemotherapy is targeted to destroy cells with a fast proliferation rate, the treatment usually most commonly kills healthy cells in the mouth, intestines and scalp.

While the nature of your side effects will depend on the type and length of chemotherapy as well as how your body responds to the treatment, many patients who undergo chemotherapy experience:

Neuropathy
Hair loss
Nausea
Vomiting
Fertility problems
Decreased libido
Mood swings
Memory swings
Blood cell count drops
Changes in the skin of the mouth and skin

Neuropathy is the most common side effect, but everyone’s response to the treatment will be different. While most side effects will cease when the treatment ends, some may continue after the treatment ceases.

Is Chemotherapy Right for You?

Discuss with your doctor whether chemotherapy is the best option to treat your cancer. Historically ineffective at treating many cancers, in recent years chemotherapy has become more effective at treating cancer.