Low-dose and metronomic chemotherapy

Minimize side effects and maximize results

OVERVIEW
Chemotherapy is a treatment approach that uses toxic drugs to kill fast-growing cells or slow their growth. It is most commonly used to treat cancer, as cancer is a condition where abnormal cells grow out of control and multiply more quickly than normal cells in the body. The resulting mass of cells may result in solid tumors or other conditions such as leukemia and lymphoma.

However, the traditional (full- or high-dose) chemotherapy can sometimes be devastating, e.g. to the immune system, and reduce the patient’s quality of life. At Esperance, medical oncologists use sensitivity tests and genetic analysis to provide personalized medicine for the patient. The personalized lab report will then provide information indicating what (combination of) chemotherapy drugs should be best practiced and at what dosage.

LOW-DOSE CHEMOTHERAPY
Low-dose chemotherapy (LDC) is a targeted approach that helps to control cancer by administering low doses of chemotherapy drugs. By using 10 to 30% of the dosage of traditional chemotherapy, LDC is a much safer and softer alternative without the harsh side effects of high doses.

Low-dose chemotherapy usually involves the application of insulin. As cancer cells have a voracious need for sugar, the insulin potentiation treatment mimics sugar intake and tricks the cancer cells into taking in chemotherapy drugs. Essentially, insulin makes the chemotherapy more effective. Generally speaking, the patient does not experience severe side effects, such as immune suppression, neuronal damage, bleedings or hair loss, due to the decreased dosage of toxic substances. 

METRONOMIC THERAPY

Likewise, metronomic therapy uses chemotherapy drugs at a low dosage; however, the difference is that metronomic chemotherapy is scheduled continuously and, in comparison to full-dose or insulin-potentiated chemotherapy, at much shorter intervals and over a longer period of time. This approach allows the patient to take in equal or greater amounts of chemotherapy drugs without the harsh side effects of the standard high doses.

WHY USE LOW-DOSE AND METRONOMIC THERAPY?

As previously mentioned, treatments with lower doses of toxic drugs cause less severe side effects than standard chemotherapy. The efficacy is maintained by adding enhancing drugs (e.g. insulin) or decreasing intervals. Coupled with other therapies, the metronomic chemotherapy approach is particularly effective for patients with advanced cancer.