How efficient is chemotherapy against cancer?
A healthy human body's cells constantly divide and grow to replace existing cells. However, when a disease like cancer starts in a human being, this process gets uncontrolled, producing more cells. When they are present in access, they occupy the spaces of healthy cells, creating a tumor. For treating cancer or preventing the growth of cancer cells, chemotherapy drugs are often recommended by doctors. This drug, which can be single or a combination, can interfere with the cell's ability of division and growth by either attacking these cancer cells all over the body or at any specific cancer site. So chemotherapy drugs can
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Stops the growth of cancerous cells
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Delay or prevent cancer's recurrence
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remove any cancerous remains post-surgery
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If cancer is not curable, delay its progression
However, this invasive treatment can have implications during and after the therapy because it targets healthy and cancerous cells. These side effects are worthwhile for many as cancer is not a curable disease, especially when detected later. If detected at an early stage, sometimes it achieves complete cure. Chemotherapy is a costly treatment, and an individual in Mumbai can find chemotherapy cost in Mumbai using the online health portal Credihealth.
How is chemotherapy performed?
The most common ways of providing chemotherapy are -
Intravenous Chemotherapy: This is the most common way of giving chemotherapy given directly in the vein. A bag of fluid-filled with medicine is attached to one of the patient's veins with a tube's help with the following ways
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Cannula: The tube is attached to a vein in the lower arm or hand's backside for a short duration.
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Peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line: When the need is for weeks or months, it is inserted into the arm's vein.
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Central line: Kind of PICC but instead of an arm, it is inserted into the chest, and a nearby vein is connected.
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Implanted port: A small device put under a patient's skin is used to give medicine throughout the treatment. A needle is used to inject medication into the device.
- Oral Chemotherapy: A simple procedure of providing medicine as a tablet. Following the routine check-up, you can take medicine home and follow the instructions given to you.
The non-common or less common chemotherapies are:
- Subcutaneous chemotherapy: Medicine is injected under the skin
- Intramuscular chemotherapy: Medicine is injected into the muscle
- Intrathecal chemotherapy: Medicine is injected into the spine.
What is the frequency of chemotherapy sessions?
Chemotherapy sessions vary from patient to patient, depending upon the patient's condition. Typically, sessions are spread over the months divided into various sessions happening after a certain interval. Your doctor is the best person to decide the frequency depending upon
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the type of chemotherapy you require
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the treatment plan created
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strength of the patient to recover between different sessions
What are the various effects after chemotherapy treatment?
In most cases, side effects disappear quickly after the chemotherapy. But in rare cases, it may linger for an extended period. Below are a few listed
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Brain: It usually occurs due to high doses when you feel a little foggy. You may find it difficult to remember things, dates, etc., and find trouble when trying to be multitasking.
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Heart: Chemo drugs can adversely affect your heart, damaging cells in your heart. This damage may result in heart attack in the longer run, problems with the heart's rhythm, and heart muscle weakening.
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Hair: You may lose some or all of your hair, but typically it starts to grow again after some time. In a rare case, it may become permanently bald.
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Weight: At times, even after treatment, you may put up some weight due to muscle loosening.
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Fertility: It may affect your fertility, making it difficult to become a parent in the future.
How much Chemotherapy cost in Mumbai?
Usually, chemotherapy is done in session, spreading over 3 to 6 months. Each session can last for a few hours to a few days, depending on the condition of the patient. Chemotherapy cost in Mumbai relies on various factors as listed below -
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Stage of cancer
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Tumor's location or cancer type
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Type of drugs used during the treatment
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Number of chemotherapy sessions needed
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Doctor's fees and experience
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Hospital or clinic selected for ongoing treatment
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City
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Cost of investigations
Chemotherapy cost in Mumbai ranges from INR 10,000 to INR 15,000. Considering the above factors, it may vary. To avoid any surprises, you can get price estimates from Credihealth. Remember to check the selected hospital or clinic is listed by your health insurance partner for hassle-free treatment.
What is Credihealth's role in your chemotherapy treatment?
Credihealth is an online portal helping every individual to find the best possible treatment at the best offered price. Suppose you are located in Mumbai, to find the best hospital for chemotherapy treatment, you can register yourself on the Credihealth portal to access a lot of information. This information constitutes the list of hospitals and clinics providing chemotherapy alongside ratings and reviews provided by various individuals, information like fees, experience, qualifications, etc., about the doctor, location and type of ward to be used for chemotherapy sessions, and much more. Moreover, you can get a second opinion from our health expert to know the best possible treatment for you based-on on your requirements and selection criteria. To know more, call us at 8010-994-994 or e-mail us at support@credihealth.com