Chemotherapy is particularly effective against certain types of breast cancer and helps improve the chances of cure and survival for many patients, said Professor Hatem Bouzayenne, a hospital-university professor of oncological surgery at the Salah-Azaïz Institute in Tunis.
In an interview granted to the Tunis Afrique Presse Agency (TAP), on the occasion of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the specialist warned against widely held beliefs and posts relayed on social networks, which suggest that this type of treatment can lead to serious complications, or even patient deaths.
« Chemotherapy relies on the use of drugs intended to destroy cancer cells. It constitutes an essential treatment for certain types of cancer. However, patients’ apprehensions about it are understandable, » he explained.
The specialist added that chemotherapy could, in some cases, carry risks and cause undesirable side effects. He nevertheless stressed that it was offered when it provided real prospects of cure or allowed the disease to be controlled, noting that the risks were monitored throughout the treatment.
The professor Hatem Bouzayenne also indicated that advances in medical research had enabled the development of more effective chemotherapy treatments, aimed at reducing side effects while preserving their effectiveness against cancer.
He clarified that therapeutic protocols and supportive treatments had also evolved, now enabling more personalized care that is better tailored to each patient.
Finally, the specialist estimated that targeted therapies and immunotherapy represented promising avenues. « Immunotherapy stimulates the activity of the immune system to help it fight cancer cells, » he explained, adding that these approaches hold the promise of developing less toxic treatments.
