[email address]
133 Molesworth St
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
30 October 2023
Tēnā koe Jody
Thank you for your email about the use of chemotherapy and radiation in cancer.
Although a lot of people understand the word chemotherapy to mean an anti-cancer treatment,
chemotherapy can technical y be defined as any treatment (therapy) with a chemical (medicine).
For this reason, antiparasitic medicines could be described as “antiparasitic chemotherapy”.
Some medicines additional y have a range of different uses, including cancer and non-cancer
conditions, depending on how they are used (i.e., the dose and combination with other
medicines). Many similarities exist between cancer cells and parasites, so there is research into
using anti-cancer medicines for parasitic infections. In the context of cancer, a more accurate
term for chemotherapy would be cytotoxic (i.e. toxic to cells) chemotherapy.
Cytotoxic chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses medicines to destroy or slow the
growth of cancer cells. It may be given alone or with other cancer treatments, such as surgery or
radiotherapy, and can be given in a variety of ways, including by mouth or infusion, depending
on the type and stage of the cancer being treated. Treatment may be given with curative intent,
with the goal of achieving a complete remission and preventing the cancer from recurrence.
Treatment may also be given with non-curative (pal iative) intent, with the aim of prolonging life
and/or improving quality of life, where a cure of the underlying cancer is unlikely to be achieved.
Treatment intent depends on a range of factors including the chemotherapy being used, the
type and stage of cancer being treated, previous treatment history and various patient
characteristics, including other medical conditions.
Al treatments have risks and benefits. Like any medicine or treatment process, cytotoxic
chemotherapies and radiation therapy have a range of different side effects. Some possible
side-effects may include impacts on bone density. What the possible side-effects are, how likely
they are and how severe they might be wil again depend on a range of factors including the
specific therapy being used (i.e which cytotoxic chemotherapy or which radiation process), the
type and stage of cancer, previous treatment history and various patient characteristics (e.g.
other medical conditions). It is important to have a conversation with a health professional
about the possible side-effects of treatment so that the person with cancer and their whānau
can make an informed decision. It is a personal decision that involves consideration of how the
risk of side-effects compares to the likely benefit from treatment for a particular individual.
If your query relates to a specific person, we would strongly encourage them and their whānau
to have these conversations with their oncologist in the first instance.
You may also find the information on cancer treatment from the Cancer Society useful
(https://www.cancer.org.nz/cancer/cancer-treatment/).
Thank you again for getting in touch with us with your questions. We hope that our response
gives you some more information and a suggested pathway to find out more information.
Nāku noa, na
Nicola Hill
Pou Whakahaere Mātāmua, General Manager
Te Aho o Te Kahu, Cancer Control Agency
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