Ijpsr (2009), Issue 1, Vol

Side Effects: Radiation therapy can cause many side effects, which are generally shown by the normal cells that are damaged by the radiation.
Chemotherapy: In this therapy, chemicals are used to treat cancer by stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells or by killing cancer cells or also by shrink tumors that causing pain and other problems but have severe side effects. Chemotherapy is given only and also given with other cancer treatments that depend upon the cancer type ^34-36.
Example:

• 
  Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, in this tumor, is made smaller before surgery or radiation therapy.
  

• 
  Adjuvant chemotherapy, in this the cancer cells are destroyed, which remains after the treatment.
  
• 
  Help other treatments to work better.
  
• 
  It also kills those cancer cells which are spread to other body parts.
  

Chemotherapy may give in various ways:

1. 
   Oral: pills, liquids, and capsules.
   
2. 
   Intravenous (i.v): Directly to the vein.
   
3. 
   Intramuscular (i.m): Given in muscle of thigh, arm or hip.
   
4. 
   Intrathecal: Injected space between the layers of tissues that cover the spinal cord and brain.
   
5. 
   Intraperitoneal (i.p): Directly into peritoneal cavity, that area in the body which contains organs such as, stomach intestine and liver.
   
6. 
   Intra-Arterial (i.a): Directly into an artery.
   
7. 
   Topical: Creams that apply on the surface of the skin.
   

Mainly chemo is given as IV; a thin needle is placed in vein but it is given through ports or catheters and some time with pump.

• 
  Port: During minor surgery, a small, round disc which is called port, is placed under the skin before treatment and remains until treatment ends.
  

A catheter connects the port to a large vein and nurses insert a needle into the port to give chemotherapy or draw blood.

• 
  Catheter: It is a thin, soft tube, which has one end places in a large vein in the chest area, and another end is to stay outside of the body. It is also used to give drugs and draw blood.
  
• 
  Pump: It controls the speed and quantity of drugs that are given from catheter or port. The pumps are of two types internal or external, internal pumps are placed under the skin during surgery, and external pumps are placed outside from the body.
  

Various tests and scans are used for checking the progress of chemotherapy, include blood tests, CT, Pet, and MRI scans.
Side Effects: Chemotherapy kills the cancer cells but it kills the healthy cells also. Side effects are caused by damaging healthy cells. The side effects are:

• 
  Hair loss
  
• 
  Mouth sores
  
• 
  Nausea
  
• 
  Fatigue, so child care is needed to a patient at least on the day of chemotherapy.
  

TABLE 1: SIDE EFFECTS