What is chemotherapy?

The choice of treatment tactics is based on several criteria and is carried out using different regimens based on:

• type of oncologic disease;
• stage of development of the tumor process;
• the size and localization of the tumor;
• the presence and prevalence of metastases.

Chemotherapy is a fundamental technique in the treatment of cancer, which is used at different stages of patient management and, as a rule, complements surgery or radiation therapy. This combined approach enhances the effect of treatment in cancer.

Chemotherapy may be used as the only treatment intervention. This treatment protocol is used for active metastasis when the disease has progressed to advanced stages. The principle of this course of chemotherapy is to control symptoms and organize further measures to preserve the patient’s quality of life.

How is chemotherapy used for different types of cancer?

Chemotherapy for cancer of the respiratory tract and thorax

For the treatment of malignant neoplasms of the upper respiratory tract, chemotherapy is used as an independent treatment, and in combination with surgical intervention. As a rule, chemotherapy is taken in cycles of up to 6 courses, depending on the indications. Between courses, breaks are necessarily made to restore the body, and in case of relapse, new drug regimens are prescribed.

Chemotherapy for cancer of the gastrointestinal tract

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is usually used for gastrointestinal cancers, i.e. chemotherapy before surgery to reduce tumor activity to allow for effective surgery. Determination of the most appropriate treatment tactics is based on the results of a thorough diagnosis with the determination of the tumor location and the degree of spread of the tumor process.

Chemotherapy for brain cancer

With brain cancer, chemotherapy is prescribed to patients with metastasis to other organs to reduce the spread of pathological cells. In the case of localization of foci only in the brain, chemotherapy is rarely used.

Chemotherapy for cancer of the genitourinary organs

Tumors of genitourinary organs are successfully treated with chemopreparations. In addition to standard drug treatment schemes, the «NMRRC» of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation uses intra-arterial chemotherapy, which ensures that the drug gets directly to the tumor, bypassing the general bloodstream, thus minimizing the side effects of therapy.

Chemotherapy for cancer of the organs of the female reproductive system

In malignant tumors localized in the organs of the female reproductive system, chemotherapy is used as part of combined treatment in the early stages of the disease and in the form of symptomatic therapy in case of extensive spread of the tumor process.

Please note that the determination of treatment tactics is carried out exclusively at a medical consultation in strict accordance with the diagnosis.

Chemopreparations are available in various forms – in capsules for oral administration, in the form of a solution for intravenous, intracavitary and intrathecal administration. Also today, drugs for intra-arterial chemotherapy are actively used – chemoembolization of the tumor, allowing the drug to pass directly to the affected organ through the feeding artery.

Oncology involves an individualized treatment plan for each patient. The form of drugs, the course and mode of administration, the duration of the protocol is determined by the results of the medical Consilium on the basis of thorough diagnostics and can be adjusted throughout the period of observation.

Protocols of treatment measures for cancer include various types of chemotherapy. The appropriate option is determined based on the diagnosis, stage of disease progression and the patient’s general state of health at the moment.

• Neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
  • A course of drugs is administered as a preparation stage for surgery. The aim is to shrink the tumor so that organ-preserving surgery can be performed.
• Adjuvant chemotherapy.
  • The course is prescribed for the postoperative period to consolidate the result of surgical treatment. After removal of the primary tumor focus with the help of adjuvant chemotherapy is carried out destruction of the remaining pathological cells in the area of surgery and suppression of distant metastases.
• Symptomatic chemotherapy.
  • A course of symptomatic chemotherapy is usually prescribed to patients in two cases: if for medical reasons it is impossible to carry out surgical treatment and in cases where the progression of the disease has reached late stages. In many types of cancer, a course of drug treatment without surgery can be extremely effective. Modern chemopreparations allow to achieve a durable result from the transition of the disease to a chronic course to complete cure.

At the household level, people often make a classification of drugs according to what color chemotherapy is. These are conditional characteristics, often used by doctors and patients to simplify perception. A distinction is made between red, white, yellow, and blue chemotherapy. This color classification focuses on IV chemotherapy. Red and yellow chemotherapy is considered the main chemotherapy for treatment and is often administered in combination.

Chemotherapy today is a symbiosis of high efficacy of drugs and low traumatization of healthy tissues. NMRC of Radiology is a pioneer in the application of many unique methods of cancer treatment. A powerful scientific base in the field of oncology and high qualification of doctors allow us to widely use modern types of chemotherapy.

• PIPAC therapy for abdominal carcinomatosis.
  • This is aerosolized intra-abdominal or intrapleural pressurized chemotherapy, which is performed in sessions of minimally invasive surgery. The drug is sprayed directly on the areas affected by the tumor, which allows you to maximize the effectiveness of the fight even with neglected forms of cancer. The appropriateness, course and duration of therapy is determined according to the indications at the Consilium of doctors.
• Hyperthermic intraoperative intra-abdominal therapy – HIPEC.
  • The principle of action of HIPEC therapy is similar to PIPAC aerosol therapy – a drug solution heated to 42 degrees Celsius is injected into the abdominal cavity, having a devastating effect directly on the tumor cells. Healthy tissues are not affected. This chemotherapy is used for abdominal cancer and carcinomatosis.
• Chemotherapy accompanied by high-intensity focused ultrasound HIFU is a unique method of localized cancer treatment used in modern oncology.
  • Treatment in this case takes place without surgical intervention – this is so-called “surgery without a knife”. Pathological cells are destroyed under the influence of high temperature, adjacent to the tumor tissue is not affected. As a rule, HIFU-therapy is carried out in conjunction with drug treatment and is used for malignant neoplasms of various localizations, including pancreatic cancer.

Oncology is strictly regulated in terms of prescribing treatment, so any course of chemotherapy is prescribed according to approved clinical protocols. In individual cases, a medical Consilium of physicians may decide to apply off-label therapy, with the course and duration of drug administration also agreed upon separately.