Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a type of therapy that is used to prevent the spread of cancerous cells. There growth is like any other normal cell. With the help of chemotherapy the caner cells are either killed or they are not allowed to grow any further. Topical Chemotherapy is referred to that therapy where the medication is given by applying the chemical agents to the skin. This method is generally used to treat the skin cancer. In fact this is one of the most proven methods to cure this malady of skin cancer.

Through topical chemotherapy skin cancer that is found on the upper layer of the skin is treated. The diseases that the skin suffers from after years of exposing to the sun are also treated through the therapy. Harshness of the sun’s rays are also responsible in causing skin cancer. Fluorouracil is used to treat skin cancer. The ointment is applied directly on the skin generally two times a day for quite some time. This helps to arrest thr progression of the disease to a much significant extent.

After initial guidance the medicine can be applied directly by the patient. Through topical chemotherapy the cancer cells on the upper layer are destroyed. This therapy is generally accompanied by some side effects. Due to the application of the ointment some irritation on the skin might occur. If the irritation persists then the doctor should be intimated urgently. The patient is sometimes advised to stop the medication for a shorter duration of time.

The topical chemotherapy is different from other types of chemotherapy. This is the only therapy that can be done by the patient only. It involves application of ointment directly on the surface of the skin. Hence through this therapy only those cancer cells are treated that are present on the surface of the skin. The cells that has penetrated deep into the skin and other parts of the body are left untreated.

The side effects of topical chemotherapy are not as complicated as that of the conventional chemotherapy. It is so because the medicine is applied only on the upper portion of the skin. Hence the intensity of the drugs is less. But rashes may develop on the skin making it sensitive. The medicine that is used in the therapy makes the skin very sensitive to sun. Precautions should be taken to prevent the skin from getting sun-burnt even after the treatment has finished.

There are various types of chemotherapy that have various types of side effects. Some are of greater intensity than the other. But in topical chemotherapy the side effects restricted to the upper layer of the skin. These side effects should not cause great concern. As the medication is stopped the side effects also start to recede. Exposure to the sun also increases the risk of skin cancer. Sometimes this therapy is also used to treat diseases that are not malignant. In fact this is one of the best diseases to treat skin cancers which can often turn to be fatal.