At Palo Verde Cancer Specialists, we strive to provide high quality oncology care to the patients who need it the most. Our Scottsdale cancer center is made up of skilled oncology specialists and cancer doctors. We are proud to serve our community and help patients in their fight against cancer. One of the most common treatments we provide is chemotherapy, also known as medical oncology. At our cancer clinic, it is our main priority to identify each patient’s unique cancer and how to treat it in a way that’s appropriate for them. Various types of chemotherapy are available to treat a number of cancers.
What is Chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is a mixture of potent drugs used to destroy cancer cells or to stop their growth. The chemotherapy drugs will circulate throughout the patient’s body to ensure that it has reached all of the cancer cells. Depending on the type of cancer and the individual patient, chemotherapy may be given with a curative intent, or it may aim to prolong life or to reduce symptoms. While in the care of Palo Verde Cancer Specialists, it is important to us to not only cure your cancer, but to also preserve or improve your quality of life.
How Chemotherapy Can Help
If chemotherapy has been decided as a good option for you, your cancer care team and oncology specialists will explain the process of chemotherapy and what you can expect. For most patients with a cancer that affects the blood or lymph system, like leukemia and lymphoma, chemotherapy is usually the best treatment. Chemotherapy can benefit patients by doing the following:
- It destroys cancer cells that may be left in your body after radiation or surgery;
- It can shrink tumors prior to radiation or surgery;
- It can treat cancer that has come back or spread to other areas of the body;
- It aides radiation therapy to further destroy cancer cells; and,
- It eases the symptoms of your cancer by shrinking the tumor and reducing any pressure the tumor may be causing.
Potential Risks Associated with Chemotherapy
Although chemotherapy has many benefits for cancer patients, it does have some potential risks that patients should be aware of. Due to the fact that chemotherapy works by destroying cancer cells, in the process it also destroys healthy cells. This type of damage can cause unwanted side effects during your treatment and after your treatment. However, your care team in the oncology center will work to minimize these side effects and help manage unwanted symptoms.
Contact Palo Verde Cancer Specialists Today!
If you have questions or concerns about chemotherapy or your cancer diagnosis, please contact our cancer clinic, Palo Verde Cancer Specialists. Our oncology specialists will work exceedingly hard to diagnose your cancer and treat it in the most appropriate manner. Please contact our oncology clinic for your next appointment. We look forward to helping you fight cancer and get back to a healthy life!
