Palliative Chemotherapy Scholarly Peer-review Journal

Chemotherapy usually refers to chemicals such as alkylating agents, anti-metabolites, and antibiotics to the tumors. These chemicals are designed to kill and prevent the growth of cancer cells, but they are biased. They are also destroying healthy cells , causing side effects including diarrhea, hair loss, and infections. While chemotherapy is not medically considered, other medications can be used in a palliative manner to shrink the tumor size and delay cancer development. These include hormonal and immunotherapy therapy. Hormone therapy requires the use of hormones to delay the development of cancer, such as estrogen to delay cervical cancer, tamoxifen to slow breast cancer and prostate cancer anti-androgens. Immunotherapy is designed to stimulate the immune system for better recognition of cancer cells and their attack. Most oncologists prefer to try the treatment for palliative purposes with the least risk of side effects that would have a negative impact on quality of life. Hormone therapy should also be attempted before toxic chemotherapies.