Kate Middleton Is Receiving Preventive Chemotherapy – Here’s All You Need to Know about Chemotherapy
A few days ago, Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, revealed that she had been diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and was undergoing preventive chemotherapy. This personal announcement came as a shock to many. But more than anything, Kate’s revelation about her health has once again reignited a conversation about cancer and its treatment. Her disclosure serves as a reminder that anyone, regardless of their age or background, can be affected by cancer.
Moreover, the circumstances surrounding Princess Kate provide a real-world setting for understanding what chemotherapy is and how it can help in treating cancer. In her situation, preventive chemotherapy indicates an early diagnosis technique intended to stop the cancer’s spread or recurrence. This emphasizes how important early intervention is to successfully manage cancer.
The Importance of Early Detection and Screening
While not much is known about the kind of cancer Kate Middleton has, yet, her situation sheds light on the importance of early identification and treatment. There have been multiple cases where early detection of cancer has helped in treating the illness on time. And so, regular screenings and self-examinations are frequently necessary for early detection.
What Is Chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is one of the most effective treatments used to manage cancer. It is a strong medication that targets and destroys cancer cells. It functions by interfering with cancer cells’ ability to grow and proliferate.
There are many ways in which chemotherapy can be administered. It can be given orally as a tablet, intravenously via a vein, and topically as a cream. It can either be used as a primary treatment or in combination with other treatments like surgery or radiation.
However, the type and duration of chemotherapy will depend upon the type of cancer a person has and the stage of cancer. In the instance of Princess Kate, she is receiving “preventative chemotherapy.” This kind of therapy is generally given to lower the chance of cancer occurrence post surgery.
Furthermore, chemotherapy is generally administered for two purposes:
- To treat cancer: It can be used as a treatment option for cancer that can eradicate the disease, reduce its propensity to come back, or halt its progress.
- To relieve cancer symptoms: It can be used to shrink tumors that are responsible for causing pain and discomfort.
How Is Chemotherapy Given?
As mentioned before, there are several ways to administer chemotherapy. Let’s look at the different methods one by one:
Oral: Oral chemotherapy is given in the form of liquids, tablets, or capsules.
Intravenous (IV): In intravenous chemotherapy, the drug is administered directly into your vein. This is the most common type of chemotherapy.
Injection: Chemotherapy can also be given in the form of injections. The drug is administered as a shot by a needle punctured just beneath the skin in the fatty tissue of the arm, leg, or abdomen.
Topical: In topical chemotherapy, a cream is rubbed on your skin.
However, in certain cases, these systemic types of chemotherapy might not work properly. In that case, your doctor might want to administer chemotherapy in specific areas of your body. These may include:
Intrathecal: In this method, the drug is injected between the layers of tissue covering the spinal cord and brain.
Intraperitoneal (IP): In this, the drug enters the peritoneal cavity, the region of the body that houses organs including the stomach, liver, and intestines.
Intra-arterially (IA): In this method, the drug is penetrated straight into the cancer-causing artery.
What Is the Most Common Way of Giving Chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is most frequently administered via an IV, which involves inserting a tiny needle into a vein in your hand or lower arm. The needle will be inserted by your nurse and removed at the conclusion of each session. Additionally, IV chemotherapy can be administered via ports or catheters, occasionally with a pump’s assistance.
Catheter: A catheter is a flexible, thin tube. One end of the catheter is inserted by a physician or nurse into a big vein, usually in your chest. The catheter’s other end remains external to your body. The majority of catheters remain in place until your chemotherapy treatments are over. Besides that, catheters can also be used to take blood and provide other medications.
Port: A port is a tiny, round disc that is inserted beneath your skin during a simple procedure. Before you start your course of therapy, a surgeon places it, and it stays there until you’re done. The port is connected to a major vein, usually in your chest, via a catheter. To give you chemotherapy or take blood, a nurse may inject a needle into your port. If you are receiving chemotherapy treatments for more than a day, you can leave this needle in place.
Pump: Catheters or ports frequently have pumps attached to them. These pumps can be found internally or outside. External pumps stay outside of your body. During surgery, internal pumps are inserted beneath your skin. They let you to get chemotherapy by controlling the amount and rate at which it is injected via a catheter or port.
Chemotherapy and Other Cancer Treatments
When used in combination with other cancer therapies, chemotherapy can serve several purposes:
- It can shrink or reduce a tumor prior to surgery or radiation therapy, a technique which is popularly known as neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
- It can eradicate any cancer cells that may still be present after surgery or radiation therapy, a technique which is popularly known as adjuvant chemotherapy.
- It can improve the effectiveness of other cancer treatments.
- It can also be effective in locating and eliminating cancer cells that have spread to other parts of the body or come back.
What Type of Cancers Are Treated By Chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy can be used to treat different types of cancers. It can either be used to treat primary cancer (where the cancer hasn’t spread to other areas of your body) or it can be used in the management of metastatic cancer (where the cancer has spread to different parts of your body).
Nevertheless, the type of chemotherapy you require will depend upon the following factors:
- The type of cancer you have
- Its location and extent of spread
- The existence of other medical conditions such as diabetes or any heart disease
Where to Receive Chemotherapy?
There are various ways where you can receive chemotherapy. You may receive chemotherapy as an outpatient at the hospital, at your doctor’s clinic, as well as at home. Being an outpatient implies you don’t have to stay at the hospital overnight. However, if your condition is severe, then you may need to stay at the hospital till your doctor asks you to stay. Your doctor and medical team will monitor and assist you in managing any side effects, regardless of where you get chemotherapy.
What Is the Duration of Chemotherapy?
The frequency and duration of chemotherapy are determined by the kind of cancer you have, its stage, the kind of chemotherapy you are receiving and how it affects your body.
The kind of chemotherapy you get will determine how long the treatment takes. You may have treatments every day, every week, or every month. The length of a chemotherapy session might range from a few minutes to even few hours. Some individuals may require continuous infusion, which can sometimes last for days. Starting at the hospital or infusion center, a continuous infusion may even continue at home.
Most patients require many rounds of treatment. A single course of chemotherapy may entail treatment for a few days or weeks, followed by an interval during which no chemotherapy is administered. Your body can heal from the therapy during this interval. You could then undergo another round of chemotherapy with the same on/off schedule.
How Can Chemotherapy Affect You?
Different people respond differently to chemotherapy. How you may be affected by chemotherapy will depend upon the following factors:
- The kind of cancer you have
- The kind of chemotherapy you are receiving
- How much chemotherapy you are receiving
- How far along the cancer is
- How well you were doing before treatment
Since each person is unique and responds to the drug differently, it is not possible to predict accurately how you may be affected throughout your chemotherapy.
Side Effects of Chemotherapy
While chemotherapy can be extremely effective in managing cancer, however, it can also pose a risk of side effects. That’s because, the drugs used in chemotherapy target and destroy all fast-growing cells in your body, including cancer cells. This implies that although chemotherapy treatments kill cancer cells, they may harm healthy cells in your body as well, leading to unintended consequences. Cells that develop and proliferate fast include those found in your blood, skin, hair follicles, and digestive tract.
Some typical side effects of chemotherapy may include:
- Hair loss
- Exhaustion
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Mouth sores
- Anemia
- Bleeding
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
How Much Time Do Chemotherapy Side Effects Last?
Usually, when you complete all the courses of chemotherapy, many of its side effects goes away. However, certain side effects of chemotherapy may appear after months or even years of treatment. Some of these late effects of chemotherapy might include.
- Cognitive disorders, sometimes known as “chemo brain,” affect thinking and memory
- Early menopause
- Cardiotoxicity or cardiac issues brought on by cancer therapy
- Neuropathy or damage to the nerves symptoms
- Fertility problems
FAQs
How is chemotherapy beneficial in treating cancer?
Chemotherapy has been an efficient, dependable cancer treatment for many years, despite some of its adverse effects. Chemotherapy can either totally eradicate the cancer from your body or improve your quality of life by easing its symptoms. Additionally, chemotherapy can increase the efficacy of other therapies like radiation or surgery.
Is it okay to skip chemotherapy?
Avoid missing a chemotherapy treatment whenever possible. But, if you are experiencing certain side effects, your doctor could occasionally adjust the timing of your chemotherapy. Your physician or nurse will advise you on what to do and when to resume therapy if this occurs.
When does someone start receiving chemotherapy for cancer?
There is no set cancer stage at which patients are treated with chemotherapy. Numerous variables affect the kind of chemotherapy medication you receive, the dosage, and the timing of treatment.
Is chemotherapy painful?
Most patients don’t feel any discomfort during treatment sessions, particularly if they’re using a topical cream or taking medication. When getting a shot or injection, the needle may prick or sting you, which might be painful. After the medication enters your body, you can have a mild burning sensation, but this normally goes away over therapy.