Our hospital's oncology clinic; It consists of 3 departments: 19-bed service, outpatient chemotherapy unit and polyclinics.
In our outpatient chemotherapy unit; There are 4 fully automatic robotic chemotherapy preparation units, 85 chemotherapy chairs, a patient education unit and a clinical pharmacist.
In addition, chemotherapy, blood donation and supportive treatments are applied in our unit, and 170-200 patients receive treatment per day.
The treatment of oncology patients is carried out in accordance with current guidelines.
WHAT IS CHEMOTHERAPY?
Chemotherapy means treating cancer with drugs. The drugs used in chemotherapy prevent the growth and reproduction of cancer cells and damage them. Classical chemotherapies can be more effective when used alone or with some drug combinations. For this reason, chemotherapy courses may contain more than one drug.
WHAT DISEASES IS CHEMOTHERAPY USED FOR?
Chemotherapy is used to treat the disease according to the type and stage of cancer, to prevent the spread of the tumor, to slow down its growth, to kill cancer cells that have spread from the organ where it started to other parts of the body, and to improve some symptoms of cancer. In some cases, chemotherapy is the only treatment option. Depending on the stage of the disease, chemotherapy is applied sequentially or simultaneously with other treatments (surgery and radiotherapy). For example, chemotherapy can be used to shrink the tumor before surgery or to prevent the proliferation and spread of cancerous cells that may remain in the body after surgery. The same applications are valid before and after radiotherapy, chemotherapy can also be applied at the same time as radiotherapy.
WHERE AND HOW ARE CHEMOTHERAPY DRUGS APPLIED?
Drugs used in chemotherapy; It can be administered intravenously and orally in pill form. Intravenous chemotherapy drugs are mixed into the serum and given at various times. In patients with long chemotherapy period; The need for hospitalization may occur, and after a while, the problem of finding a vein may occur. Since long-term administration of some drugs into the vein is necessary, chemotherapy is applied for such drugs with the help of devices called "catheters" or "ports" that allow the drug to go directly to the main vein.Chemotherapy treatment process is also carried out in some patients, at home, with drugs to be taken orally in pill form. It is necessary to have detailed information about how to use these drugs and to consult a doctor in cases where a question mark may occur. The pills taken at home are just as important as the drugs taken intravenously, and their incomplete or incorrect use may adversely affect the treatment process. Chemotherapy is applied to some areas in the body cavity as well as intravenous and oral pills. These; It can be exemplified as the abdominal cavity, the pleura, and the bladder. All these treatment applications must be done in a fully equipped oncology center and under the control of a medical oncologist.