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Chemotherapy (chemo) uses drugs to treat cancer. Some drugs
can be swallowed in pill form, while others need to be injected into a
vein or muscle. The drugs enter the bloodstream to reach and destroy
the cancer cells throughout the body. This makes chemo a systemic or
"whole body" treatment.
Some drugs kill the cancer cells directly. Chemo can also make
it easier for radiation to kill the cells. In anal cancer, chemotherapy
combined with radiation therapy can often cure the cancer without the
need for surgery. Chemotherapy often uses 2 or more drugs because one
drug can boost the effect of the other. The main combinations used to
treat anal cancer are 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and mitomycin or 5-FU and
cisplatin.
Chemotherapy drugs can reach just about any place inside the
body. Doctors sometimes give chemo after surgery has removed the
cancer. The chemo is meant to destroy any cancer cells that were left
behind because they were too small to see. This is called adjuvant
therapy. It is meant to lower the chance of the cancer coming back.
Chemotherapy drugs can also damage some normal cells, which
can cause side effects. This can depend on the specific drugs, the
amount taken, and the length of treatment. Common temporary side
effects might include:
- nausea and vomiting
- loss of appetite
- hair loss
- diarrhea
- mouth sores
- low blood counts
Because chemotherapy can damage the blood-producing cells of
the bone marrow, patients may have low blood cell counts. This can
result in:
- an increased chance of infection (due to a shortage of
white blood cells)
- bleeding or bruising after minor cuts or injuries (due to a
shortage of blood platelets)
- fatigue or shortness of breath (due to low red blood cell
counts)
If you get chemo, it is important to tell your doctor or nurse
about any side effects as soon as you notice them. Your cancer care
team can help you deal with them. For example, anti-nausea drugs can
help control nausea and vomiting. Sometimes changing the treatment
dosage or how you take your medicines can reduce side effects. Most
side effects will stop when your course of treatment ends.
Last Medical Review: 08/17/2009
Last Revised: 08/17/2009
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