Not usually a positive
topic, but it is nice to get a few facts and dispel some myths.
There are
over 200 different types of cancers and 200 different types
of cells in the human body with all of these having the
potential to become cancerous. All
types are a result of unregulated cell growth. The
result is excessive tissue, known as tumors. These
tumors can be localized, or they can spread to
surrounding areas through your lymphatic system or your
blood stream.
Normal healthy cells divide and die as they
should. The average number of times normal healthy cells
divide is known as the Hayflick Limit. It was named after
Dr. Leonard Hayflick, who in 1965 noticed that cells divide
a specific number of times before the division stops. The
average was between 40-60. If you took every cell in your body,
at the time you were born, and accounted for all the cells
they would produce and so on, multiplied that number by the
average time it takes for those cells to die, you get what
is known as the ultimate Hayflick limit, or the
maximum number of years you can theoretically live, 120
years.
Chemotherapy, by
definition is "a
chemical that binds to and specifically kills
microbes or tumor cells." It is a drug
treatment that uses powerful chemicals to kill
fast-growing cells in your body. It is usually systemic
treatment, meaning that the drugs flow through the
bloodstream to nearly every part of the body.
Chemotherapy is generally given in cycles: a treatment
period is followed by a recovery period, then another
treatment period, etc.
It is most often used to treat cancer, since cancer
cells grow and multiply much more quickly than most
cells in the body. Many different chemotherapy drugs
are available and can be used alone or in combination. Chemotherapy
treatments carry risks of side effects, some
mild and treatable and others which can cause serious
complications.
Most chemotherapy cannot differentiate
between abnormal cancer cells and normal healthy cells. Because of this, cells
that multiply rapidly can also be affected by chemotherapy.
Not all chemo drugs will make you lose
your hair. Some people have mild thinning that only they notice
and some show no loss.
Hair loss includes eyelashes, eyebrows,
underarms, legs, and even pubic hair.
Whether you lose hair depends upon the medication, dosage, combinations, and
individual sensitivity.
Hair loss happens because the chemotherapy affects all cells in
the body, not just the cancer cells. The lining of the mouth,
digestive tract (that is why many have nausea and vomiting as
side effects),
stomach, bone marrow, and the hair follicles are especially
sensitive because those cells multiply rapidly just like the
cancer cells.
Chemotherapy can also
decrease in production of white blood cells (causing
immune-suppressed), and inflammation of the digestive tract. Other areas that can be
affected include, kidneys, liver, heart, and lungs. Luckily, many
healthy cells repair themselves during or shortly after
therapy.