What preventive chemotherapy is used to treat Kate Middleton’s cancer?

Wales – The Princess of Wales announced in a statement that she had been diagnosed with cancer after it was discovered following abdominal surgery.

Cancer patients usually undergo chemotherapy, which is a drug treatment that uses powerful chemicals to kill rapidly growing cancer cells in the body, but Kate Middleton specifically used the term “preventive” chemotherapy.

Kate said during the video in which she revealed her diagnosis: “In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London, and at the time it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation showed the presence of cancer. Therefore, my medical team advised me to undergo a course of preventive chemotherapy, and I am now in the early stages of this treatment.”

What is preventive chemotherapy?

No additional information has been provided about Kate’s cancer or the type of treatment she is receiving, however the Princess of Wales has stated that she is undergoing preventive chemotherapy, which is actually not an official term for a type of treatment.

Chemotherapy drugs are used to kill cancer cells. These drugs disrupt the way cancer cells grow and divide, thus preventing cancer cells from spreading in the body.

According to specialists at the Royal Marsden Cancer Hospital in London, “preventive” chemotherapy, also called “adjuvant” chemotherapy, is sometimes used to help destroy cancer cells that may remain after surgery or radiotherapy to reduce the possibility of cancer recurrence.

Even if the surgery is successful in removing all visible cancer cells, some microscopic cancer cells sometimes remain and cannot be detected by current methods.

Therefore, adjuvant chemotherapy is often used to make basic treatment, such as surgery or radiotherapy, easier or more effective.

How does preventive chemotherapy work? ؟

After successful removal of cancerous or precancerous cells, undetectable microscopic cancer cells may remain in the body and lead to cancer recurrence months or even years after initial treatment or after entering remission.

Preventive chemotherapy, which can last for weeks or even years, systematically attacks those cells and eliminates existing disease, reducing the risk of recurrence.

What types of cancer are treated with preventive chemotherapy?

While preventive chemotherapy can treat many different types of cancer, it is most commonly used in patients who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, colon cancer, or ovarian cancer.

It is also currently used for those who have not had breast cancer but are at high risk of developing it because of their family history with the disease.

What are the side effects of preventive chemotherapy?

According to Healthline, chemotherapy drugs kill fast-growing cancer cells, but they can also damage healthy cells, causing short-term gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea, constipation and weight loss.

The medications can also lead to mouth ulcers, hair loss, fatigue, anemia, and more, although healthy individuals are less likely to experience side effects.

However, there are long-term consequences of chemotherapy, such as premature menopause or damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys, or nerves.

Source: New York Post