Cisplatin Chemotherapy
treatment for
cancer USES different
medications depending on the patient's condition. The goal of
chemotherapy is to kill off
cancerous cells by means of
medication. This, in turn, will help ensure that the infected cells do not reoccur in the body. One of the medications that is commonly used with chemotherapy
treatment is Cisplatin. This drug has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat a wide range of cancers. This type of medication is known to be a part of the group of heavy alkylating-like agents. This type of agent ensures that the cancerous cells do not divide and spread to other parts of the body. When a doctor administers this type of cancer treating drug, it is important for the patient to drink plenty of fluids. This allows the kidneys to be flushed out and maintain a healthy state during the process. Also, a patient's blood count will be checked frequently. This is because chemotherapy killsthe cancerous cells as well as normal healthy cells in the body. It is expected that the patient will be
fatigued and even develop
anemia as a side effect of this medication. The doctor will recommend that the patient stay away from larger groups of people, due to the increased risk of infection while being treated with Cisplatin. The administration of this medication is usually combined with other forms of chemotherapy. The patient is given a certain dosage per
mesothelioma treatment that is directly placed within the blood stream. Another important aspect of combining medications is that there is a chance Cisplatin may cause resistance to the drug, so using other drugs along with this treatment will help reduce this possibility. Most of chemotherapy side effects include
nausea and vomiting. This specific drug has certain side effects that have to be monitored closely. One of the most dangerous side effects with this medication is kidney and hearing damage. Statistics show that over one third of patients experience these two side effects at some point in their treatment process. Other side effects that have been noted with the use of Cisplatin are tingling and burning of the fingers and toes, numbness, loss of appetite, muscle cramps, confusion, and hair loss. Before the patient starts any other medication, is it important to discuss the fact that they are receiving chemotherapy injections of Cisplatin, which could effect the treatment or cause an allergic reaction or damage to certain organs.
