What Is Chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy is a medications that damage the cells divide into the body.

Unlike surgery or radiation, chemotherapy works all over the body and is not focused. This means that it can eliminate cancerous lesions, such as metastasis, that have developed in various organs of the body.

Chemotherapy’s impact has a range of side effects such as hair loss, loss of appetite, changes to bowel movements, fatigue, infection, hemorrhaging, incontinence, pain, and more.

Chemotherapy will be given with or without radiation

Examples of standard chemotherapy protocols for treating pancreatic cancer:

Folfirinox is a combination of 4 anti cancer drugs:

1. Leucovorin
2. Adrucil®, (Fluorouracil, 5-FU)
3. Camptosar®, Campto®, (Irinotecan)
4. Eloxatin®, (Oxaliplatin)

Gemzar®, gemcitabine and one or two of this drugs:

• Abraxane®
• Xeloda®, (Capecitabine)

Examples of standard chemotherapy protocols for treating breast cancer:

• Texanes, e.g. Taxol, Taxotere, Docetaxel
• Abraxane® (Paclitaxel)
• Anthracyclines, e.g. Doxorubicin, Doxil, Epirubicin
• Palatinum salts, e.g. Carboplatin and Cisplatin
• Navelbine® (Vinorelbine)
• Xeloda® (Capecitabine)
• Gemzar® (Gemcitabine)

Examples of standard chemotherapy protocols for treating skin cancer or Melanoma:

• Etopophos® (Etoposide)
• Doxorubicin
• Hycamtin^® (Topotecan)
• Adrucil® (Fluorouracil, 5-FU)
• Cisplatin
• Xeloda^® (Capecitabine)

Chemotherapy innovation

Facts

1. The existing therapies used on stage 4 metastatic cancer are not curative, and this is a source to the need for innovative and effective treatment strategies in order to fight the disease.
2. The National Cancer Institute, NCI, highlights the fact that for a certain group of cancer patients, the best treatment option is to join one of the many clinical trials existing worldwide aiming to increase their chances of therapeutic success.
3. Currently, every patient will be offered the standard protocols described above. Sometimes the oncologist may suggest integrating these therapies with trials carried out in the institute.

The opportunity

1. Advances in cancer therapies may be found in clinical trials prescribing cutting edge, innovative drugs, some of which have already been recognized by the US Food & Drug Administration, the FDA, as “breakthrough drugs” and require further information to be approved.
2. An entire world of clinical trials, Compassionate drugs and advanced new cancer treatments are available worldwide.
3. It is important to know and have access to cutting edge cancer treatments that best match the unique medical condition of the patient and increase chances in winning the fight against compared to the standard care offered.

Read our publications on innovative treatments and chemotherapies: