Since mid June 23rd, 2008, Western Health has been successful in implementing a Home IV Chemotherapy program for cancer patients who meet the eligibility criteria. Through the program, 13 patients in the Corner Brook, Pasadena, Deer Lake, Benoits Cove and Meadows area have been able to receive their chemotherapy treatment at home. Normally, patients requiring chemotherapy get admitted to hospital for their course of treatment. Under this method, patients with the support of nurses, physicians, pharmacists and their family have been able to receive their treatment staying in their home environment.
“The feedback so far from patients who have been able to receive home IV chemotherapy has been really positive”, said Hilda Rideout, Manager of Community Support for Western Health. “Anytime you can make people more comfortable during difficult circumstances like cancer treatment it is a positive step forward.”
The benefits of home IV chemotherapy are that it allows the patient to return to the comfort of home and be surrounded by family members. Patients on home IV therapy can continue with their daily routine activities and at times are able to return to work.
Western Health implemented the program for patients with timely access to Western Memorial Regional Hospital but there are plans to explore the possibility of expanding the program to other select geographic areas within the Western Region.
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For more information,
Please contact:
Heidi Staeben-Simmons
Director of Communications,
Western Health 709-637-5252
Backgrounder:
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of medications or chemicals with cancer-fighting abilities that can be given in several different ways. IV chemotherapy is medicine given through an IV (into a vein).
Purpose
The main purpose of chemotherapy is to kill cancer cells. It usually is used to treat patients with cancer that has spread from the place in the body where it started (metastasized). Chemotherapy destroys cancer cells anywhere in the body. It even kills cells that have broken off from the main tumor and traveled through the blood or lymph systems to other parts of the body.
Chemotherapy can cure some types of cancer. In some cases, it is used to slow the growth of cancer cells or to keep the cancer from spreading to other parts of the body. When a cancer has been removed by surgery, chemotherapy may be used to keep the cancer from coming back (adjuvant therapy). Chemotherapy also can ease the symptoms of cancer, helping some patients have a better quality of life.
Precautions
There are many different types of chemotherapy drugs. Oncologists, doctors who specialize in treating cancer, determine which drugs are best suited for each patient. This decision is based on the type of cancer, the patient's age and health, and other drugs the patient is taking. Age and other conditions may affect the drugs with which a person may be treated. Heart disease, kidney disease, and diabetes are conditions that may limit the choice of treatment drugs.