Chemotherapy pills are nothing but drugs that can be consumed orally. The chemotherapy treatment can be given intravenously or orally. The cancerous cells multiply in the body several times faster than the normal cells. In case the treatment is given intravenously, it is usually given by a drip in a hospital.
As long as the chemotherapy treatment is given, the patient has to remain in the hospital as inpatient or as outpatients. This depends on the type of drug and the duration of administration. However, if these drugs are available in form of pills, they can be easily taken at home.
Both ways have their advantage as well as disadvantage. The main advantage is that the patients can have these drugs at home and do not have to visit the hospital. However, there are patients who may not take these pills on time or may even stop them without the consent of their oncologist when the side effects occur. The regimen for these drugs is decided by the oncologist and depends on various factors like stage and type of the cancer, age and health of the patients and so on. If the patient does not have these pills in accordance to the regimen decided by the doctor, the treatment might not be very effective.
The side effects that these patients may have after having these chemotherapy pills include nausea and vomiting, low blood counts, mouth sores, hair loss, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, skin rashes and so on. The doctors usually recommend a good diet for chemotherapy patients; this helps them to manage these side effects to some extent. They usually ask the patients to drink plenty of fluids, eat cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables. Take plenty of rest during the treatment.
Ask your health care provider to give you some health care tips during chemotherapy treatment. Also ask what side effects should be immediately reported to your doctor. In case you miss the dosage of your prescribed pills, do not hesitate to seek advice from your doctor.