The global cancer burden is estimated to have risen to 18.1 million new cases and 9.6 million deaths in 2018 (Jeon et al., (2019). The statistics show that people should understand the disease so that its management becomes easy for those affected and infected. Cancer is a treatable disease, and numerous ways can be used to treat the disease. Chemotherapy is one of the best ways to treat cancer. The term chemotherapy, or chemo, refers to a wide range of drugs used to treat cancer. These drugs usually work by killing dividing cells. Since cancer cells have lost many of the regulatory functions present in normal cells, they will continue to attempt to divide when other cells do not. This trait makes cancer cells susceptible to a wide range of cellular poisons. Despite its approved merits and effectiveness in dealing with cancer, chemotherapy also presents some challenges that could be cited as its disadvantages while treating cancer. In this article, the aim is to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of chemotherapy approach to cancer treatment.
Pros
The first advantage of chemotherapy in cancer treatment is the fact that it has a high rate of increasing cancer survival for a patient. According to Akiyama et al. (2018), chemotherapy is beneficial, mostly in stage three of cancer, and is usually the last preferred shot in the remission. In a study by Skoetz et al. (2017), the authors reveal that 89% of the patients who undergo chemotherapy have high chances of survival. The authors also explain that c hemotherapy is always successful in curing advanced prostate cancer in patients with a survival rate of nearly 87%. However, the authors caution that it does not mean that every patient who undergoes chemotherapy will recover, but it implies that the rate of survival for such patients is increased.
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In a meta-analysis study to underpin the effectiveness of the different cancer treatments, Jeon et al. (2019), underlines the need for patients to choose chemotherapy by revealing its efficacy in killing cancer cells in the body. From the results the authors present, it is evident that the main advantage of chemotherapy is the fact that it can kill many cancer cells throughout the entire body. In the study to understand how chemotherapy works for patients, Skoetz et al. (2017) also argue that the c hemo is suitable for patients because of its ability to kill cancers cell, including those that are in the primary tumor and other tumors in the body. Such a degree of effectiveness thus can be critical for patients and therefore act as a significant advantage of chemotherapy as a cancer treatment approach.
Another reason that should make a patient prefer chemotherapy is the fact that this approach can either work effectively independently or in conjunction with other forms of cancer treatment for high precision and effectiveness for the patient. Chemotherapy can be useful when it is applied alone during cancer treatment. Its efficacy is high for both skin, breast, and prostate cancer. However, this approach has also proven effective in combination with other methods such as cancer surgery. What makes chemotherapy useful when used in conjunction with surgery is the fact that it can kill microscopic disease at the edge of the primary tumor that may not be seen by the naked eye of a surgeon (Jeon et al., (2019).In this sense, therefore, then there will be a high chance that the process will decrease the likelihood that the cancer cells will be left behind at the time of surgery. In this manner, it reduces the chances of complications for the patients and boosts the chances of survival.
Another pro of the chemotherapy treatment of cancer is it enhances the preservation of an organ in the body. For instance, other than removing an organ from the body, such as breasts during the surgeon, this approach will always encourage other alternative treatments that will reduce the chances of removing the organ. The aim is to reduce the chances that the patients will have a significant negative impact on patients' quality of life after the treatment.
The ultimate goal of having chemotherapy is to prolong the patients' lives. Chemotherapy achieves such a goal in many ways. First, it is a method that can suppress cancer, and this leads to slowing down its development or growth in a patient's body. In this sense, it adds the patient some more days and years in their life as they struggle to find a better life despite having a cancerous tissue within their body (Jeon et al., 2019). The slowing growth of the cancer is thus beneficial for prolonging life for the patients. Also, chemotherapy eradicates any chances of cancer, mostly in a situation where the disease is detected at an early stage. In a research study by the Alanni, Hou, Azzawi & Xiang, (2019) , the authors reveal that for a case where the cancer is detected at its first stage, the chemotherapy can shutter it to the extent that the patient can recover from the disease. When individuals undergo chemotherapy, the cells may be destroyed to a point one is cancer-free. Chemotherapy may suppress the cancerous cells, thus allow some individuals to live longer than expected.
Physicians usually report cases of total recovery for patients with borderline resectable cancer. Also, those who undergo surgery for cancer are recommendable to have chemotherapy immediately. The rationale is the fact that in such cases, having chemotherapy is valid and can reduce the chances of cancer reoccurring. The last advantage of chemotherapy is the fact that it is evolving ( Skoetz et al., 2017). Chemotherapy is not the same drug it was 50 years ago. As science has evolved, so has chemotherapy, which now comes in a variety of forms. Chemotherapy has become much safe for the patients and much effective in controlling cancer and assuring the patient that they can have some days with their beloved ones. With such evolution on its techniques, effectiveness, and also its forms, chemotherapy allows doctors to choose the right type of chemo for patients to increase their chances of achieving positive outcomes. Therefore, these positive impacts of chemotherapy are enough to convince patients that the need for chemo is rising(Akiyama et al., 2018). It is thus critical for the patients to decide to undergo such treatment as it presents a better chance of increasing life for the patients who have cancer.
Cons
Despite the glittering side of chemotherapy as a cancer treatment approach, it also has a negative side that could be important for the patients to analyze and understand as part of the process of deciding to take the treatment or settle for alternatives. The first con of chemotherapy is when physicians use the approach independently, the success rate is reduced (Alanni, Hou, Azzawi & Xiang, 2019) . It implies that, to some extent, chemotherapy has less ability to kill the cancer cells alone. Physicians should combine chemotherapy with other approaches like radiation or surgery while treating cancer to get effective results.
Another challenge the patients face is coping with chemotherapy's side effects that vary from mild to severe cases depending on the nature of the chemo and the patient in the question. For most patients who undergo this approach to cancer treatment, toxicity is something that they have experienced. While undertaking chemotherapy, the therapies go through the entire body and may affect all normal tissues in the body. It implies that the side effects are inevitable, and they may range from mild to worse depending on different therapy drugs or techniques that the doctor prefers for the patient. Also, there has been literature and scientific research bodies that have pinpointed the inability of the chemotherapy to kill the cancer cells in the body evenly. In a research study by Neuner et al., (2019), the authors cite the fact that, in most cases, chemotherapy approaches are less effective from the point that they do not access all the body parts and kills the tumor in areas where there are barriers. According to the authors, crossing the blood-brain barrier, for instance, to go to the limb sometimes presents a challenge for chemo because, in such areas, there is poor blood circulation. It means that a tumor at such points will be challenging to handle by using chemotherapy because of a lack of enough blood supply or the presence of a barrier.
A decision to choose chemo means accepting to bear with some of the inconveniences that arise while undertaking the treatment. The problem with chemotherapy is the fact that, to some extent, it is a relative inconvenience for the patients. For instance, some forms of chemotherapy must be delivered daily, some five days per week, while others still can go for weeks. In some cases, patients take oral chemotherapy medication for years, and this can be disturbing for some patients (Neuner et al., 2019). In cases where doses go for many days, weeks, or years, the patients must also incur the cost of purchasing the drugs, and this is hectic for some financially unstable people.
Also, some patients report that the entire process may not be suitable as it results in a lot of discomfort. While each patient will have a different experience, nausea, vomiting, exhaustion, and trouble breathing are all common occurrences. While the chemo drugs are working to attack the cancer cells in the body, they also attack the healthy normal cells in the body. As a result, the patient may feel a lot of discomfort during this process. Finally, there is enough evidence that shows the effectiveness of this approach to treating cancer patients. As mentioned previously, the survival rate with chemotherapy is reasonable, and it gives a patient a second chance to stay with those whom they love. The problem is that it is not always a guarantee for patients that it will work for them just as it works for other patients with similar disease implications (Neuner et al., 2019). Chemotherapy is not a cure-all drug. In some people, the drug works better and delivers an impressive outcome. To others, chemotherapy gives them a high chance of fighting cancer but does not guarantee that they will recover fully from the disease.
Conclusion
Cancer patients face a lot of myths about chemotherapy and cancer treatment that may make them think more about whether taking such treatment can be beneficial. Therefore, such patients need to understand both the good and the bad sides of the cancer treatment to help them make proper decisions when faced with such a dilemma. Hence, presenting such pros and cons of chemotherapy as a cancer treatment approach can be critical in educating the patients on this topic and allowing them to make informed decisions.
References
Akiyama, Y., Kimura, Y., Enatsu, R., Mikami, T., Wanibuchi, M., & Mikuni, N. (2018). Advantages and disadvantages of combined chemotherapy with carmustine wafer and bevacizumab in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma: a single institutional experience. World neurosurgery , 113 , e508-e514.
Alanni, R., Hou, J., Azzawi, H., & Xiang, Y. (2019). Cancer adjuvant chemotherapy prediction model for non-small cell lung cancer. IET systems biology , 13 (3), 129-135.
Jeon, S., Sikorskii, A., Given, B. A., Given, C. W., &Redeker, N. S. (2019). Latent transition analysis of the symptom experience of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Nursing Research , 68 (2), 91-98.
Neuner, J. M., Kong, A., Blaes, A., Riley, D., Chrischilles, E., Smallwood, A., ...& Schroeder, M. (2019). The association of socioeconomic status with receipt of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Breast cancer research and treatment , 173 (1), 179-188.
Skoetz, N., Will, A., Monsef, I., Brillant, C., Engert, A., & von Tresckow, B. (2017). Comparison of first ‐ line chemotherapy, including escalated BEACOPP versus chemotherapy, including ABVD for people with early unfavorable or advanced stage Hodgkin lymphoma. Cochrane Database of Systematic Review s , (5).
