Chemotherapy Drugs

It is essential to evaluate in detail the correct dose of chemotherapy required. Dosage of chemotherapy drugs depends on the affected individual’s body surface area.This, in turn, correlates with the blood volume.

High dose chemotherapy is given in case of certain cancers with a higher chance of recurrence. This therapy damages the bone marrow cells, which then have to be replaced by a transplant .This is done by collecting stem cells from the bone marow or peripheral blood. In case of an autologous transplant, the individual may himself donate the cells that are to be replaced. Alternatively, in the case of an allogenic transplant, they are collected from a suitable well- matched donor.

A dose of chemotherapy is called a ‘session’ which is accompanied by a ‘rest period’.This period of rest allows the normal cells to recover.A ‘session’ and a ‘rest period’ form a ‘cycle’ and several such ‘cycles’ together form a ‘course’ of treatment.