CHEMOTHERPAY
Chemotherapy uses powerful drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be given as a single drug or a regimen. These drugs may be given as pills or by injection or infusion into a vein. Chemotherapy is usually given in cycles, lasting between two and four weeks.
If the spread of the melanoma is thought to be limited to an arm or a leg, chemotherapy may be concentrated in that limb in a technique known as isolated limb perfusion (ILP). This technique prevents the blood in the arm or leg from travelling though the body for a short time. This allows the drugs to act on the tumour.
Isolated limb infusion (ILI) is another form of treatment, which uses chemotherapy to treat cancer that is confined to a limb. ILI is a minimally invasive procedure used to deliver high doses of chemotherapy to recurrent melanomas or sarcomas in the arms or legs. ILI is an alternative to ILP.
Chemotherapy is not used alone very often. It is not very effective in treating melanoma and has been largely replaced by immunotherapies and targeted therapies. It may be effective to treat symptoms or extend life. Chemotherapy drugs include carboplatin, paclitaxel, and dacarbazine.
Side Effects of Chemotherapy
Side effects of chemotherapy depend on the specific agent. Chemotherapy kills rapidly dividing cells, like cancer cells. It also damages normal cells that divide quickly. Cancer cells cannot recover from chemotherapy, but normal cells can repair the damage. Chemotherapy may cause a number of side effects including mouth sores, hair loss, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, amongst others. Side effects generally stop once chemotherapy has finished.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Chemotherapy
- Why do you recommend chemotherapy for me?
- Which medications do you recommend and why?
- What do I need to know about the medication?
- How long will treatment last?
- What side effects does my chemotherapy have?
- Are there any long-term side effects?