The treatment for cancer has changed over time and offers patients better targeted and more convenient options. One such development is oral chemotherapy, which has changed the face of cancer treatment by letting patients treat themselves from the comfort of their own homes. If patients, and even caregivers, fully understood how oral chemotherapy worked, its best practices, and what it really was, it would aid in making more informed decisions.
What is Oral Chemotherapy?
Oral chemotherapy is when the cancer-fighting drug is given through a pill, capsule, or liquid form. This form of treatment differs from traditional chemotherapy in which the treatment is administered intravenously in a hospital or clinic. With oral chemotherapy, patients are able to take the medication in the comforts of their own homes. The drugs are designed to combat cancer cells that divide rapidly, and they either destroy the cells entirely or impede their growth.
Breast, colon, lungs and blood cancers are a few of the examples where oral chemotherapy can be applied. It can work as a treatment on its own or as a part of a larger treatment plan alongside other forms of medicine like radiation, surgery, or intravenous chemotherapy.
What Are The Mechanisms of Action For Oral Chemotherapy?
Oral chemotherapeutic agents are formulated to act on cancer cells such that the latter’s proliferation and mitotic division is inhibited. These agents circulate in the blood stream and subsequently reach cancer cells located in different regions of the body. These substances are generally divided into various classes based of the following mechanisms of action:
- Cytotoxic drugs: These are the most primitive of all forms of chemotherapy as they indiscriminately destroy all cells, malignant or otherwise, by targeting DNA or mitotic spindles.
- Targeted therapies: These units destroy specific neoplastic cells by binding to certain proteins or genes that regulate malignant transformation.
- Hormonal therapies: These units are only useful in neoplasms that are hormone dependent as they lower the levels of predisposing hormones to slow malignant growth.
The patient's body physiology and compliance towards the prescribed therapy and the type of malignancy as well as the cancer stage affects the response to oral chemotherapeutics.
Benefits of Oral Chemotherapy
Compared to conventional intravenous therapy, oral chemotherapy has numerous benefits:
- Greater ease of use: Patients do not have to go through the hassle of commuting to and from the hospital frequently, as they are able to fill their prescriptions for medical drugs at home.
- Oral chemotherapy aids in enhancing patient’s quality of life because it allows patients to continue with their day-to-day activities.
- Less invasive: The treatment process is relatively straightforward, as patients do not have to undergo the painful ordeal of multiple needle pricks.
Finally, oral drugs help with greater patient compliance as it gives them consistent exposure to cancer fighting agents. This could help the patient achieve better results.
Complications and Consequences of Oral Chemoterapy
While easy from a methodological standpoint, oral chemotherapy presents many problems, such as:-
Adherence
Patients are required to adhere to their prescribed timetable to the letter. Missing doses or not ingesting the prescribed medication renders it less effective, and could heighten the potential for drug resistance.
Commencing
As with most forms of chemotherapy, oral medications have the potential to elicit side effects. These potential effects include, but are not limited to:
- Dehydration
- Symptoms of nausea and vomiting
- Abdominal pain relief via diarrhea or constipation
- Partial or complete alopecia
- Oral mucosal blisters
- Reduced food intake
- Alteration in blood volume that heightens the risk of infectious diseases
The side effects that arise from oral chemotherapy need to be actively managed through constant updating of the healthcare team.
Monitoring
Patients undergoing oral chemotherapy need to be seen on a regular basis as progress needs to be monitored and complications managed. Blood work, imaging, and other tests are necessary in order to confirm that the treatment has been effective.
Proper Usage of Oral Chemotherapy Remotely
As with all forms of chemotherapy, oral medication can be easily abused. Patients and caregivers must follow certain strict guidelines for proper and secure treatment:
1. All prescriptions must be followed to the letter
Correct dosage amounts do not guarantee favorable outcomes. An individual’s schedule along with the prescribed treatment plan must be adhered to. Therefore it is essential that:
- All prescribed medication dosage must be completed
- All available pills should be swallowed whole unless otherwise instructed
Setting personal reminders or making use of technological devices could help avoid missed doses.
2. Proper Method of Storing Medication
Place drugs in their original containers.
Keep them in a cool, dry place, away from sunlight unless otherwise specified on the label.
Ensure that they are placed where children and pets cannot reach them.
3. Diligent Method of Medication Management
Pills should be handled after thoroughly washing one’s hands both before and after touching them.
If instructed, gloves must be used while handling medications, especially for the caregivers who administer the medication.
Do not come in direct contact with the broken or plastic pills.
4. Side Effects Management
Keep a log of symptoms and any side effects that occur.
Any new side effects or worsening ones must be reported to the doctor as soon as possible.
Do inquire regarding medications or other methods to control side effects such as nausea and discomfort.
5. Maintaining Regular Health Check Ups
It is important to keep all scheduled appointments to conduct blood tests and scans.
During visits, do feel free to discuss any concerns or questions that may arise with the oncologist.
6. Staying Comprehended
It is vital to go through any document available accompanying the medication, especially ones indicating possible side effects and interactions.
Never self-prescribe over-the-counter drugs, supplements, or herbal remedies without any prior consultation with a physician.
Is Everyone Eligible For Oral Chemotherapy?
With oral chemotherapy, not every cancer patient is eligible. There are several factors an oncologist needs to consider before prescribing these drugs:
- Stage and type of cancer: There are some cancers that respond better to oral medicines.
- Scope of the patient's health: Patients with relatively severe swallowing Difficulties have poor tolerability for oral chemotherapy treatment and those with severe GI complaints may not like it too.
- Lifestyle and adherence capability: Patients should be able to demonstrate a high level of compliance with the prescribed regimen.
Common Oral Chemotherapy Drugs
Examples of some oral Chemotherapeutic agents are:
- Capecitabine(Xeloda): For treatment of breast and colorectal cancers.
- Imatinib (Gleevec): Useful in few types of blood cancer such as chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML).
- Temozolomide (Temodar): Brain tumors.
- Lenalidomide (Revlimid): Multiple myeloma and other types of blood cancer.
Patients must know how to take them as each carries its own set of instructions.
Conclusion
The use of chemotherapy in pill form has changed the face of cancer treatment by delivering similar effectiveness while being more user friendly. Nonetheless, oral chemotherapy treatment poses a large burden on patients for self-discipline, proper drug management, and frequent doctor visits. While the challenges of side effects and no treatment supervision during the day enables a patient to improve their lifestyle chronically increase the patient’s life quality.
If you or your dear one is seeking treatment with oral chemotherapeutics, speaking to an oncologist for guidance on how it can fit into the treatment plan is important. Keeping yourself level-headed and informed at all times will help you get the best out of this advanced cancer treatment methods.
Talk To The Expert Oncologist
Dr. Pooja Babbar, a seasoned medical oncologist with over a decade of experience, has been a guiding force for countless patients navigating their cancer journey. Her expertise in advanced cancer treatments, including oral chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and precision oncology, reflects her commitment to delivering personalized care. Under her guidance, patients receive not only cutting-edge treatments but also compassionate support to improve their quality of life. If you are seeking reliable and expert cancer care, Dr. Babbar’s dedication and experience make her a trusted ally in the fight against cancer. Book a consultation for more information!
