Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy: effective treatment of infectious and tumor diseases

Chemotherapy is one of the most effective methods of treating infectious and tumor diseases. This therapy is based on the use of drugs that suppress the activity of pathogens or tumor cells.

Before moving on to consideration of specific aspects of chemotherapy, it should be noted that this branch of medicine arose at the beginning of the 20th century thanks to the work of the German scientist Paul Ehrlich. He was the first to synthesize a number of arsenic compounds with antimicrobial activity and used them to treat several infectious and parasitic diseases. Subsequently, the production of sulfonamide drugs and antibiotics was of great importance for the development of chemotherapy.

Chemotherapeutic agents are characterized by selectivity of action, that is, each agent acts on strictly defined types of microorganisms or cell types. According to the spectrum of action, chemotherapeutic agents are divided into antibacterial, antituberculosis, antifungal, anthelmintic, antispirochetal, antiviral, etc. Modern chemotherapy has a large arsenal of chemotherapeutic agents, the spectrum of action of which includes almost all types of pathogenic bacteria, as well as many types of viruses and tumor cells.

Synthetic drugs and drugs of natural origin used for chemotherapy are called chemotherapeutic agents. One of the features of these drugs is their specificity of action, that is, they are aimed at the cause of diseases, in contrast to pharmacotherapy, which affects the functions of the body or the symptoms of diseases, and not the causes.

The effectiveness of treatment with chemotherapeutic agents depends on a number of conditions, therefore, when using them, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules and strictly follow the doctor’s instructions. First of all, it should be remembered that when prescribing any chemotherapeutic drug, the doctor chooses the drug whose spectrum of action includes the causative agent of the disease. Therefore, during the treatment process, you cannot independently, without the advice of a doctor, replace one drug with another.

Medicines have a detrimental effect on pathogens only in certain concentrations, therefore, when carrying out chemotherapy, it is necessary to maintain the exact dosage of the drug and regularly monitor its concentration in the blood. In addition, chemotherapy may have side effects such as nausea, vomiting, alopecia, changes in blood composition, etc.

Depending on the nature of the disease and the stage of its development, chemotherapy can be carried out either alone or in combination with other methods of therapy, such as surgery or radiation therapy. In addition, there are various chemotherapy protocols, which differ in treatment regimen, drug dosage, course duration, etc.

In general, chemotherapy is an effective treatment for infectious and tumor diseases. However, since this therapy may have side effects and requires strict medical supervision, its use should only be used as directed and under the supervision of an experienced specialist.

Chemotherapy is one of the most effective treatments for many types of cancer, as well as some other diseases. This is because such treatment can target the tumor and suppress its growth without affecting other tissues and organs. However, like any other treatment, chemotherapy has its risks and side effects. In this article we will look at the main aspects of the use of chemotherapy, as well as possible treatment options and ways to protect against side effects.

What is chemotherapy? Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment. The principle of its operation is the use of chemicals that can destroy tumor cells. Chemotherapy drugs are administered to the patient intravenously, orally, or can be injected directly into the site of the disease. In addition, local application methods containing solutions of chemicals are sometimes used. Doses and nature of use of chemotherapy drugs are determined individually for each patient. There are also drugs that protect the body from toxic damage from chemotherapy drugs. These are called anti-catabolic or antioxidant agents. The role of chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer As already mentioned, one