| Everyday persons affected by esophageal cancer are getting diagnosed all over the world with less than five years of poor prognosis. Even though chemotherapy is not the only treatment option for esophageal cancer it is one of the effective treatment methods when combined with other treatment options like radiation therapy and surgery in certain cases.
Types of chemotherapy drugs used for treating esophageal cancer include cisplatin, carboplatin, capecitibine and 5-fluorouracil. These chemotherapy drug types prevent the cancerous cells multiplying or replicating abnormally and also helps in eradicating them. Most often cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil is used along with radiation therapy. Each chemotherapy treatment can last in the time range of thirty minutes to few hours depending on the type of medication. Different types of treatment options differ based on the esophageal cancer type and stage.
Chemotherapy too can cause various side effects including loss of appetite, nausea, mouth sores, low blood count and hair loss. Esophageal cancer patients getting treated with chemotherapy might not face all the above side effects but might experience some and the fortunate thing is that the side effects caused by chemotherapy are only temporary. Patients taking chemotherapy can enjoy the benefits for a longer time than compared to other cancer treatment types. Unlike surgery and radiation treatments this is very systemic that the drugs travel all over the body making it very effective on metastasized cancer.
Drugs which are platinum based used in chemotherapy include platinol-AQ (cisplatin) and Paraplatin (Carboplatin). In esophageal cancer treatment either cisplatin is used or along with paclitaxel for diseases in the advanced stage. Carboplatin is less toxic that it is used as a substitution for cisplatin. Mitomycin or Mutamycin is an anticancer antibiotic which is used for treating esophageal cancer. Some of the possible side effects include rashes, lung damage, nausea, vomiting, kidney or lung damage, hair loss and lower blood count.
5-FU or 5-Fluorouracils are antimetabolites that can cause few side effects like throat and mouth inflammation, severe allergies, liver damage, fever, visual impairment, weakness, headache, confusion, nausea, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach ulcers, fever, nosebleeds and so on. Onxol, taxol or Paclitaxel and taxotere or docetaxel are taxanes which results in disease regression in nearly twenty five percent of stage III disease patients. These can result in side effects like nerve damage, diarrhea, edema or swelling, heart damage, allergic reactions that are life threatening and unusual infections. Vinorelbine or Vindesine are vinca alkaloids which are also used in the treatment of esophageal cancer. Camptosar or Irinotecan is one of the types of Chemotherapy drugs used for treating esophageal cancer. Like other drugs these too can result in side effects such as constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, low blood count, dizziness, fever, insomnia, breathing problems, blood clots, rashes and hair loss.
Natural Remedies:
There are certain natural remedies that offer a promising cure for esophageal cancer. Along with the natural remedies and a well-researched different diet pattern, a few simple adjustments to your lifestyle can make a huge difference to your efforts for prolonging the life for several years. You can increase your chances of surviving esophagus cancer now by trying these proven natural remedies discussed here |
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