Princess of Wales, who recently underwent abdominal surgery, has revealed in a video update that she is undergoing preventive chemotherapy.
Kate Middleton‘s cancer diagnosis
Preventive chemotherapy is medically known as adjuvant chemotherapy, done to target the remnant cancer cells in the body after the primary treatment such as surgery and radiotherapy.
Adjuvant chemotherapy
By targeting the microscopic and hard-to-detect cells left behind after the first-line treatment, adjuvant chemotherapy increases the outcome of the primary treatment and reduces the chances of a relapse.
Lowered chances of relapse
Adjuvant chemotherapy is a commonly done treatment. It is mostly opted for if the cancer has spread to the surrounding lymph nodes. In cases of an early diagnosis, the treatment may be avoided.
When is it done?
Usually, four to six cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy are required. Each cycle is done once in three weeks. The treatment can last for up to five months.
Duration of the treatment
Opting for adjuvant chemotherapy is based on gauging the risks, benefits and factors such as the cancer stage, tumor characteristics,and the person’s overall health status.
Factors taken into consideration