The American Cancer Society defines oral chemotherapy as any drug that is taken by mouth to treat cancer. The majority of chemotherapy drugs are administered intravenously, but the oral chemotherapeutic drugs are just as effective. Since most...
If you're one of those individuals averse to hospital tests, nothing could be more convenient than popping a pill at home. Oral chemo refers to any drug taken as a liquid, capsule or tablet by mouth to treat your cancer. As the American Cancer...
Using drugs to target and destroy cancerous cells in the body is a form of cancer treatment called chemotherapy. Like most drug treatments, chemotherapy can cause side effects in patients. Mild to severe oral complications of chemotherapy are...
Chemotherapy, an option for cancer treatment, halts the multiplication of cancer cells. It may also harm healthy cells, although those cells typically recover after treatment ends. Common side effects entail fatigue, vomiting, pain and hair loss....
Maintaining good oral health before, during and after chemotherapy treatment is important to prevent unnecessary complications related to chemotherapy side effects. These side effects involve the teeth, gums and mucous membranes of the mouth. They...
Many cancer patients receive chemotherapy as part of their cancer treatment. During treatment, patients complete several cycles of medication, allowing the drugs to enter and kill cancer cells throughout the body. The specific action of chemo...
Turkey tail -- a common nickname for the coriolus mushroom -- might not sound like a traditional Chinese medicine with possible anti-cancer benefits. But coriolus versicolor, also known as Trametes versicolor, contains several compounds that...
Chemotherapy can be defined as the utilization of pharmaceuticals specifically designed to target, combat and destroy diseased cells, according to the American Cancer Society. The actual treatment is usually more effective when a combination of...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, colorectal cancer originates in the colon or rectum and is sometimes referred to simply as colon cancer. Men and women of all races and ethnic groups are susceptible to colorectal...
Breast cancer is a malignancy of the ductal system or lobes of the breast. Men and women are susceptible; 207,090 women and 1,970 men were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, according to the National Cancer Institute. As the second leading...
The National Cancer Institute reports that prior to the year 2000, 5-fluorouracil was the only drug available for use in adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with colon cancer that had spread to the lymph nodes, called stage III colon cancer. (See...
Xeloda is an oral chemotherapy drug used to treat certain types of cancer, including breast cancer and colorectal cancer, MedlinePlus reports. As with all medications, side effects can develop when taking Xeloda. While a swollen jaw is not among...
The risk of developing cancer is one in two for men and one in three for women, according to the National Cancer Institute. While the overall cancer rate in the United States is still high, emerging treatment alternatives over the last 30 years...
Leukemia is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow. The main characteristic of leukemia is the production of too many leukocytes, or white blood cells. Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is one of four types of leukemia. While all forms involve the...
Gum cancer results from the growth of abnormal cells in the gum tissue, according to Online Cancer Guide. Cancer occurring in the mouth is often referred to as oral or oral cavity cancer. The treatment depends on the stage of the cancer, and...
Throat cancer and oral cancer treatments can impact the voice and communication ability. Cancer of the voice box (larynx) is a type of throat cancer that typically consists of squamous cell carcinomas, notes the National Cancer Institute. The...
When chemotherapy is used to kill cancer cells, it has the negative effect of killing healthy cells as well. For many, this means that chemotherapy kills cells of the teeth and mouth. Many oral side effects can be prevented by seeing the dentist...
Chemotherapy is the use of medications (chemicals) to treat cancer. Chemotherapy targets the rapidly dividing cells of cancer but can also affect other rapidly dividing cells, including the cells in the mouth. The mouth and teeth are also...
Abdominal, or stomach, cancer occurs when malignant cancer cells grow and spread within the abdomen. Signs and symptoms may include stomach pain, nausea and vomiting, abdominal bloating and difficulty swallowing. The treatment for abdominal cancer...
Brushing your teeth and flossing helps keep your teeth healthy, and leading an active lifestyle is good for your bones, but you can put your diet to work for these purposes as well. Many vitamins are good for your bones and gums, building bone...
Chemotherapy can have a major impact on your appetite. Not only do nausea and appetite loss make it harder to get the nutrients you need, drugs used for chemotherapy can affect your taste buds, making food and drink taste strange and often...
Bionect is a medication that contains the active ingredient sodium hyaluronate. This medication is indicated to treat skin lesions such as burns, surgical incisions, diabetic foot ulcers and minor scrapes or cuts. Additionally, this medication is...
Radiation and chemotherapy can take a toll on your body. One of the most uncomfortable side effects to deal with are mouth sores. There are treatments and medications that can make this side effect easier to handle. Talk to your doctor before...
Cancer is a very difficult diagnosis to deal with and patients need to discuss with their doctors what treatment they will undergo. Chemotherapy is a popular option, where the cancer patient receives the drugs either intravenously or orally. The...
The tongue can become sore as a result of accidentally biting it. However, a sore tongue can also be an indication of a serious medical condition. Sometimes, bacteria or viruses can infiltrate the tongue. In other cases, the cells in the tongue...
Childhood cancer is rare, affecting less than one percent of the U.S. population. Children are more likely to develop certain types of cancer, such as leukemia and lymphoma, whereas adolescents are more susceptible to bone cancer. According to Dr....
Brain tissue includes nerve cells and glial cells. Glial cells nourish the brain and form the myelin sheath, which is the fatty material that insulates nerve cells and speeds transmission of nerve impulses. According to the Macmillan Cancer...
Birth control pills, commonly called "the pill" are used to prevent pregnancy and regulate a woman's menstrual cycle. Typically, a woman will take one active (hormone-containing) pill per day for three weeks, then will take either no pills or...
Soft food diets eliminate hard-to-chew foods and those that can be difficult to swallow. This type of diet is appropriate for a variety of conditions. Soft diets are often used in post-operative care to help individuals transition from liquids...
