Not sure what you are asking. Do you mean is it possible to have progression of disease during chemotherapy. The answer is yes. There is no cure for cancer. Chemotherapy is a treatment used to try and stop the spread of the cancer cells . . but there is no gurantee that it will work for individual patients.
Treatment for cancer usually uses three different modalities depending on the stage and type of cancer. Treatment also depends on the age of the patient, their overall health, and their initial response to treatment.
If first line chemotherapy is shrinking the largest tumor . . that’s a good thing. Usually chemotherapy is systemic. It is given through the blood stream and goes throughout the body. It’s mission is to kill any growing cell . . hopefully it is targeting any metastatic cells that might have escaped from the large tumor.
Doctors may also elect to give radiation with the chemotherapy . . or surgery if it is warranted.
Radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery can all be used together in the hopes of bringing about a remission.
If the first line chemotherapy treatment does not work intended . than it is possible switch chemotherapies and to use a second line chemo or even a third line depending on the situation.
The NCCN publishes an online version of the professional clinical guidelines for the treatment of lung cancer. You can check to see what treatment options are offered for your type of cancer, stage, and tumor grade.
Cancer cells are a mutated cell from free radical damage due to many factors. Chemotherapy is designed to kill fast dividing cells but it does not discern all other cells in the body, thus hair falling out, mouth sores, ridges in your nails, vomiting etc.
Cancer is a suppressed immune system in which your immune cells allowed the cancer to proliferate unchecked. Chemotherapy further suppresses the immune system, thus the desperate need of the body for complimentary care with nutrition to build the cell recognition sites back up to help the body get back to work recognizing cancer cells.
If you do not invest in cancer prevention after chemotherapy, yes… cancer floats around and spreads to other parts of the body.
There is NO magic pill or magic cure for cancer, just the hope that if the tumor (s) die, that you can be deemed in remission, but remission won’t last without a life style change.
W W D on
May 30, 2011 at
9:02 pm
One would hope not, but as I’m sure you’re aware, few cancer chemotherapies are close to 100% effective.
3 comments
Panda on May 30, 2011 at 9:02 pm
Not sure what you are asking. Do you mean is it possible to have progression of disease during chemotherapy. The answer is yes. There is no cure for cancer. Chemotherapy is a treatment used to try and stop the spread of the cancer cells . . but there is no gurantee that it will work for individual patients.
Treatment for cancer usually uses three different modalities depending on the stage and type of cancer. Treatment also depends on the age of the patient, their overall health, and their initial response to treatment.
If first line chemotherapy is shrinking the largest tumor . . that’s a good thing. Usually chemotherapy is systemic. It is given through the blood stream and goes throughout the body. It’s mission is to kill any growing cell . . hopefully it is targeting any metastatic cells that might have escaped from the large tumor.
Doctors may also elect to give radiation with the chemotherapy . . or surgery if it is warranted.
Radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery can all be used together in the hopes of bringing about a remission.
If the first line chemotherapy treatment does not work intended . than it is possible switch chemotherapies and to use a second line chemo or even a third line depending on the situation.
The NCCN publishes an online version of the professional clinical guidelines for the treatment of lung cancer. You can check to see what treatment options are offered for your type of cancer, stage, and tumor grade.
NCCN: Clinical Guidelines for Lung Cancer
http://www.nccn.org/patients/patient_gls/_english/_lung/contents.asp
Laura J on May 30, 2011 at 9:02 pm
Cancer cells are a mutated cell from free radical damage due to many factors. Chemotherapy is designed to kill fast dividing cells but it does not discern all other cells in the body, thus hair falling out, mouth sores, ridges in your nails, vomiting etc.
Cancer is a suppressed immune system in which your immune cells allowed the cancer to proliferate unchecked. Chemotherapy further suppresses the immune system, thus the desperate need of the body for complimentary care with nutrition to build the cell recognition sites back up to help the body get back to work recognizing cancer cells.
If you do not invest in cancer prevention after chemotherapy, yes… cancer floats around and spreads to other parts of the body.
There is NO magic pill or magic cure for cancer, just the hope that if the tumor (s) die, that you can be deemed in remission, but remission won’t last without a life style change.
W W D on May 30, 2011 at 9:02 pm
One would hope not, but as I’m sure you’re aware, few cancer chemotherapies are close to 100% effective.