Abstract

Dr. Heena Kaushik*, Dr. Madhusudan Parmar

ABSTRACT

The incidence of cancer is on the rise in India. In recent decades, significant progress in diagnostic techniques and cancer treatments has led to higher survival rates for cancer patients. Chemotherapy is use of cytotoxic chemicals used in the treatment different types of cancer and it often causes side effects. Being aware of potential side effects from chemotherapy is crucial for preventing and managing them effectively. The side effects of chemotherapy may vary from person to person which may depend on the type of cancer, location, drug, dose, and general health of an individual. Chemotherapy is cytotoxic systemic medication. It can be used as a treatment for many different cancers. Chemotherapy targets and destroys cells that are dividing into two new cells, affecting both cancerous and healthy cells that are actively progressing through the cell cycle. Active cells are those that are growing and dividing as part of the normal cell cycle. Since cancer cells generally proliferate more rapidly than healthy cells, chemotherapy can more readily target them. However, side effects occur when chemotherapy also harms healthy cells, potentially leading to issues such as hair loss, nausea, and vomiting. Fortunately, there are now many more medications available to manage these side effects than in the past. Though chemotherapy is cytotoxic but can also show its toxic effects in form of side effects like fever, nausea, vomiting, lethargy, oedema etc. in the body. In this review we will discuss regarding various Agada which can be used to combat and minimize the side effects of chemotherapy used in cancer treatment.