Cancer is a disease of the body’s cells. Normally, the cells multiply in an orderly way, allowing your body to grow and to heal after an Injury. Occasionally some cells behave in an abnormal way. They may grow into a lump which is called a tumour.

Tumours can be benign (not a cancer) or malignant (a cancer). Benign tumours do not spread to other parts of the body. A malignant tumour is made up of cancer cells. If these cells are not treated, they may spread into areas nearby.

Sometimes cells break away from the original (primary) cancer and spread to other organs. When these cells reach a new part of the body they may form another cancer. This is called a secondary cancer or metastasis. For example, if breast cancer spreads to the bones, it is called a bone secondary. It is not bone cancer which is a separate disease.

Information from WHO ( World Health Organization)
The number of global cancer deaths is projected to increase 45% from 2007 to 2030 (from 7.9 million to 11.5 million deaths), influenced in part by an increasing and aging global population. The estimated rise takes into account expected slight declines in death rates for some cancers in high resource countries. New cases of cancer in the same period are estimated to jump from 11.3 million in 2007 to 15.5 million in 2030.

The word “cancer” can also be used when cells multiply abnormally but don’t form a lump or tumour. This happens when the blood forming cells are affected producing diseases known as leukaemias.

Treating cancer

Treatment of cancer depends upon the type of cancer you have, where it began and whether it has spread. It may also depend upon factors such as your age. Most cancers are treated by surgery, radiotherapy (X-ray treatment) or chemotherapy. One or more of these medical treatments may be used.

What is chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy is the use of special drugs to treat cancer by killing cancer cells. Chemotherapy drugs work by interfering with the ability of a cancer cell to divide and reproduce itself. The affected cells become damaged and eventually die. As the drugs are carried in the blood, they too reach cancer cells all over the body.

The drugs damage the cancer cells in different ways. If a combination of drugs is used, each drug is chosen because of its different effects. Unfortunately, chemotherapy drugs can also affect normal cells in your body, sometimes causing unpleasant side effects. Unlike cancer cells, however, normal cells quickly regrow, so any damage to them is usually temporary and therefore most side effects will disappear once the treatment is over.

In most chemotherapy treatment a number of drugs are given at the same time. Sometimes only one drug is used.

Why is chemotherapy used?

The aim of chemotherapy may be to cure or control cancer or to relieve its symptoms of treatments and their frequency will depend upon the type of cancer and the actual drugs used. In general, chemotherapy is given over a period of six to twelve months. However, it may be given for shorter or longer periods. You should discuss your own treatment with your doctor.

How does chemotherapy work?

The chemotherapy drugs must enter your bloodstream in order to reach cancer cells anywhere in your body. The drugs enter your bloodstream immediately if they are injected into a vein or artery. If they are given in another way, they must be absorbed into the bloodstream (e.g. drugs given in tablet form are absorbed from the lining of the stomach or gut).

The chemotherapy drugs travel around your body and can enter and destroy certain cells. The cells most affected by chemotherapy are those which multiply rapidly, such as cancer cells. The rate at which cancer cells are destroyed varies with each type of cancer.

Some normal cells which also multiply rapidly may be affected by chemotherapy but normal cells are better able to renew themselves than cancer cells.

The rest periods between chemotherapy treatments allow your normal cells to recover before the next treatment.

Your doctor will take several factors into consideration when planning your treatment. The most important of these are the type of cancer you have, where in the body it is situated and how far it has spread. Other factors include your age and general health.

The frequency of your treatment and the length of time it takes will depend on several factors including: the type of cancer you have, the drugs you are taking, the response of the cancer cells to the drugs and any side effects the drugs may cause.

Chemotherapy is usually given as several courses of treatment. Depending on the drug or drugs given, each course can last from a few hours to a few days. The total number of courses you have will depend on how well your cancer is responding to the drugs. It may take several months to complete all the chemotherapy courses needed.Some patients on oral chemotherapy take smaller doses daily for several weeks or months before they have a rest period.

It may be necessary for you to have blood test or X-rays or to see the doctor before you are given your chemotherapy and this will obviously take time. All chemotherapy drugs are prepared in a special way and you may have to wait while the hospital pharmacy department prepares them to dispense to you. To help to pass the time it may be helpful to take a book, newspaper, crosswords or perhaps some letter to write.