What is Oral Chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy is a treatment that kills or slows down the growth of cancer cells in the body, prolonging the life of people with cancer. In some cases, it can also cure cancer. Traditional chemotherapy involves the use of a needle that is injected into the vein and is usually performed in a hospital or clinic. Oral Chemotherapy is when the person can take chemotherapy through medications.

The traditional methods of chemotherapy can be life-saving but can also be inconvenient and potentially painful. The patient will have to be physically present at the hospital and will need an IV port for the treatment. Oral chemotherapy, on the other hand, involves the use of medications and is way more convenient. The best chemotherapy doctor in Mumbai will usually prescribe pills that dissolve under the tongue but the medications can also be given in the form of liquids and tablets. 

How does Oral Chemotherapy work and what to expect from it?

Depending on your stage of cancer, the dosage of the medications may vary. They all work differently depending on the type of cancer. When you work with qualified and experienced doctors to get the best chemotherapy in Mumbai, they will provide you with specific details on how you should take your medicines. 

Dosage and when to take the medications

Oral chemotherapy is just as strong as conventional chemotherapy. It is important to take the dosage exactly as scheduled by the oncologist. These pills are responsible for killing the cancerous cells in the body. If a patient misses a pill, forgets to take a dose and takes two doses too close together or takes other drugs alongside these pills, they might be running the risk of making this treatment less effective. Chemotherapy pills are set up in a way that maintains the same amount of drug in your body at all times to slow down the growth of cancer cells or kill them. Altering their amount or timings can have an adverse effect on how well this therapy performs on your body. Inappropriate doses can also lead to severe side effects. While discussing the chemotherapy cost in Mumbai, patients should all have a talk about the doses, timings and what to do if they miss a pill. It is advisable to maintain a medication diary where the patient cannot down all the precautions, diet and schedules recommended by the doctor.

In case the patient accidentally forgets a dose or take two pills, they must inform their doctor or medical care staff while they are deciding if the treatment is working on them. Depending on the progress, sometimes, the dosage will need to be changed, but don’t make any changes yourself, unless the doctor tells you so. 

Store chemotherapy drugs carefully

Chemotherapy drugs are strong and can cause serious health hazards to people who accidentally take them without a prescription. There are special precautions to store and handle these drugs. Do not let others come in contact with your medicine. Label it well and keep it out of reach of children so they do not mistake it for some other pills. Doctors that perform the best chemotherapy in Mumbai suggest that sometimes the patients might have to wear gloves while handling these pills. They must be stored in a cool and dry place in the bottle and box they can in. After usage, the packaging and bottle must be disposed of in a certain way. Some strong doses and their packaging must be disposed of under medical attention only, which is why the patients may be asked to bring the bottle and box back to the medical store after completion of the dose. 

Oral chemotherapy cost in Mumbai

Drugs for oral chemotherapy in Mumbai can be expensive. Make sure to talk to your doctor and do some research online before purchasing the medicine so you are not surprised when you get the bill at the pharmacy. If you have health insurance, check if your insurance covers the medical costs of the therapy. Depending on the type of drug, some insurances might not cover the full costs. In such cases, the patient will have to pay a major part of the bills from their pocket. Sometimes, patients do get financial assistance from medical insurance and provide a high co-pay.