Understanding Pediatric Chemotherapy
As we all know, chemotherapy is a common treatment for various types of cancer. Even though it is a standard procedure to treat malignancy, the admini...
As we all know, chemotherapy is a common treatment for various types of cancer. Even though it is a standard procedure to treat malignancy, the administration of chemotherapy can be quite different for each patient and this depends on their type of cancer. Chemotherapy medication can be given orally with a pill or injected systemically intravenously. Children suffering from cancer may also undergo chemotherapy and this have been quite effect to improve the five year survival rate for children. With developments of chemotherapy, more and more children suffering from cancer can continue living healthy normal lives.
Since chemotherapy is a vital part of cancer management most children suffering from cancer are recommended to undergo this procedure since chemotherapy itself actively destroys malignant cancer cells. For children chemotherapy treatment is usually administered intravenously so the drug can travel systemically through the blood vessels rather than orally with pills.
There are various factors that should be considered before deciding the type of chemotherapy a child undergoes. These factors include the age, height, and weight of the child but most importantly the histological type of the cancer.
Basically chemotherapy has been known to induce several side effects which include vomiting, nausea, hair loss, chills, fever, and fatigue. In any case a child who is undergoing chemotherapy experiences high fever or continuous bleeding, you must take extra care. It is essential to consult your pediatrician quickly since it may be a sign of infection.