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Is glivec classed as chemo
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From: https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/chemot...
chemotherapy (KEE-moh-THAYR-uh-pee)
Treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Chemotherapy may be given by mouth, injection, or infusion, or on the skin, depending on the type and stage of the cancer being treated. It may be given alone or with other treatments, such as surgery, radiation therapy, or biologic therapy.
It’s a surprisingly murky one, as I understand it. The term “chemotherapy” means different things to a clinician compared to an insurance underwriter. For example, my private medical insurance company in the UK classes it as a “biotherapy”, which is clearly nonsense, but that allows them to treat it on terms more favourable to them than chemotherapy. My hospital classes it as chemotherapy for some administrative purposes, but doubt my clinician would see it that way.
I would say for practical purposes - i.e. insurance - the answer is “no” but there is some nuance to that.
David.
Click link below - another way to think of "chemo" and the drugs we take to treat CML:
http://chemoth.com/types/kinaseinhibitors
The article above is a good summary on how TKI's are a very different kind of "chemo".
To me - any substance we take that is not natural is a form of chemo-therapy. But most people think of "chemo" as what causes your hair to fall out, severe fatigue, hospital stays and soon after - death. That is why we hate the word chemo. Cocaine is chemo-therapy. And so is Aspirin.
But today's cancer chemo - the new targeted versions - do not attack cells indiscriminately. And - at the proper effective dose - you would not even know you are taking the drug. It is still chemo, however, - but a new and improved version! The chemo we take can very well keep us alive for a very long time. It's the good chemo.
(vs. the bad chemo)
.... you all decide which one Cocaine is ....