What is a common side effect of chemotherapy because it targets fast growing cells?
The fast-growing normal cells most likely to be affected by chemotherapy are blood cells forming in the bone marrow, and cells in the digestive tract, reproductive system, and hair follicles. Common side effects of chemotherapy include fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, mouth sores, hair loss, and anemia.
What is the rate division of cancer cells?
The rate at which a tumor grows is determined by the rate of cell division. Rapid cell division produces a rapidly growing (and generally more aggressive) tumor. A slower rate of cell division produces a slower growing (and generally less aggressive) tumor.
Why cancer cells are particularly damaged by chemotherapy?
Because cancer cells divide much more often than most normal cells, chemotherapy is much more likely to kill them. Some drugs kill dividing cells by damaging the part of the cell’s control centre that makes it divide.
What cells does chemotherapy target?
The “normal” cells most commonly affected by chemotherapy are the blood cells, the cells in the mouth, stomach and bowel, and the hair follicles; resulting in low blood counts, mouth sores, nausea, diarrhea, and/or hair loss. Different drugs may affect different parts of the body.
Why do chemotherapy patients lose their hair?
Why does chemotherapy cause hair loss? The reason chemotherapy can cause hair loss is that it targets all rapidly dividing cells — healthy cells as well as cancer cells. Hair follicles, the structures in the skin from which hair grows, include some of the fastest-growing cells in the body.
Why cancer cells divide uncontrollably?
Most cancer-causing DNA changes occur in sections of DNA called genes. These changes are also called genetic changes. A DNA change can cause genes involved in normal cell growth to become oncogenes. Unlike normal genes, oncogenes cannot be turned off, so they cause uncontrolled cell growth.
Is chemotherapy always successful?
They think about which drugs to use and how many cycles of treatment are necessary. They also consider the possible side effects of treatment and take into account any of your other health issues. Even with these considerations, chemotherapy isn’t always successful.
Does chemotherapy cause cancer?
Some types of chemotherapy (chemo) drugs have been linked with different kinds of second cancers. The cancers most often linked to chemo are myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Sometimes, MDS occurs first, then turns into AML.
What is chemotherapy in cancer?
Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that uses powerful chemicals to kill fast-growing cells in your body. Chemotherapy is most often used to treat cancer, since cancer cells grow and multiply much more quickly than most cells in the body. Many different chemotherapy drugs are available.
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