High-dose Chemotherapy for Resistant Cancers

What is High-dose Chemotherapy?

High-dose chemotherapy is the administration of many times larger doses of anticancer drugs than normal. The purpose of the treatment is to

Eliminate cancer cells that are resistant to conventional treatments
Destroy cancer at the molecular level

Used in conjunction with bone marrow/stem cell transplantation to help the body recover after bone marrow destruction

What type of patients is it used for?

High-dose chemotherapy is often used in the following cases:

Leukemia
Lymphoma
Multiple Myeloma
Testicular cancer resistant to conventional chemotherapy
Some childhood cancers, such as advanced neuroblastoma

Mechanism of action

Using high doses of chemotherapy

Destroys more DNA than normal in cancer cells
Increases the chance of shrinking the tumor or temporarily suppressing the cancer

Disadvantages: Severely affects the bone marrow. A bone marrow transplant is required to help the body recover.

Risks and Side Effects

High-dose chemotherapy has more severe side effects than usual, such as:

Severe neutropenia (risk of severe infection)
Anemia, thrombocytopenia
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Hair loss, dry skin, mouth ulcers
Vital organs such as the liver, kidneys or heart may be affected.

Therefore, it must be under the care of a specialist doctor and in a hospital that is ready to handle complications.

Advantages of High-dose Chemo

Increased chance of disease control or remission
Used in patients who are resistant to standard-dose chemotherapy
As part of a complex treatment plan, such as in combination with stem cells

Must be done at a specialized hospital

High-dose chemotherapy must be done in a cancer center or bone marrow transplant center with complete personnel and equipment because the patient will have a very low immune system and must be closely monitored.

summarize

High-dose chemotherapy is the administration of a higher concentration of cancer drugs than normal in order to control advanced or refractory disease. It is a method that requires weighing the results against severe side effects, so it should be managed by a specialist and carefully planned with the family.