Research Report: Chemotherapy Side Effects on Cancer Patients Study

This report presents a study protocol evaluating the side effects of chemotherapy on cancer patients. It begins with an introduction and background on chemotherapy as a cancer treatment, its benefits, and its potential side effects, such as immune suppression, fatigue, and organ damage. The report outlines the rationale, significance, and theoretical frameworks, including themes on the chemotherapy method, its application, and its impact on patients' health. It details the research aim, objectives, and questions, followed by the study design, data collection, and analysis methods. The study settings, sample, recruitment process, and eligibility criteria are also described. Furthermore, the report addresses ethical and regulatory considerations, dissemination policy, and a Gantt chart for the study timeline. Finally, it provides a comprehensive list of references used in the study, offering a detailed overview of the research on chemotherapy's effects on cancer patients.

CHEMOTHERAPY'S SIDE
EFFECTS ON CANCER
PATIENT

TABLE OF CONTENTS
STUDY PROTOCOL......................................................................................................................4
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
BACKGROUND.............................................................................................................................4
RATIONALE..................................................................................................................................5
Significance.................................................................................................................................5
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS.................................................................................................6
Theme 1 The concept of chemotherapy method..........................................................................6
Theme 2 Application of chemotherapy for treating cancer patients............................................7
Theme 3 Side effect of chemotherapy on cancer patient.............................................................8
Theme 4 Negative effect impact on the health and treatment of cancer patient..........................9
RESEARCH AIM, OBJECTIVES AND QUESTIONS.................................................................9
Aim..............................................................................................................................................9
Objective......................................................................................................................................9
Research question........................................................................................................................9
STUDY DESIGN AND METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION AND DATA ANALYSIS........10
Study Design..............................................................................................................................10
Data Collection Methods...........................................................................................................10
Data Analysis Methods..............................................................................................................10
STUDY SETTINGS......................................................................................................................11
SAMEPLE AND RECRUITMENT..............................................................................................11
Eligibility Criteria......................................................................................................................11
Sampling....................................................................................................................................12
Recruitment................................................................................................................................13
Outcomes...................................................................................................................................14
ETHICAL AND REGULATORY CONSIDERATIONS.............................................................14
Assessment and management of risk.........................................................................................14
Research Ethics Committee (REC) review & reports...............................................................14
Peer review................................................................................................................................15
Patient & Public Involvement....................................................................................................15

Regulatory Compliance.............................................................................................................15
Protocol compliance..................................................................................................................16
Data protection and patient confidentiality................................................................................16
Indemnity...................................................................................................................................16
Access to the final study dataset................................................................................................16
DISEMMINATION POLICY.......................................................................................................16
Dissemination policy.................................................................................................................16
Authorship eligibility guidelines and any intended use of professional writers........................16
GANTT CHART...........................................................................................................................17
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................18

STUDY PROTOCOL
To evaluate the chemotherapy's side effects on cancer patient.
INTRODUCTION
As the number of cancer patients in the world keeps on steadily increasing, healthcare
professionals around the world are steadily recommending increasing number of cancer patients
to undergo chemotherapy as a viable treatment method for countering cancer. Chemotherapy is a
cancer treatment method that makes use of singular or multiple anti-cancer drugs with the
intention to either prolong the remaining life patient suffering from critical stages of cancer or to
cure patients in initial phases of cancer (Oun, Moussa and Wheate, 2018). The anti-cancer drugs
used in chemotherapy are designed with the intention to introduce them directly into the patient’s
blood stream so that the anti-cancer drugs can address cancer in the patient’s body irrespective of
the anatomic location of the cancer present over the patient’s body.
Though it has been proven that cancer can be treated effectively through the use of
chemotherapy method, chemotherapy treatment can also result in various side effects for the
patient such as immune suppression which is the condition where the patient’s immune system
gets suppressed, which happens due to the paralysing of bone marrow, resulting in a reduction in
the patient’s red, white blood cells and platelets (Demaria and et.al., 2017). As the immune
system becomes suppressed, the patient can suffer from Typhlitis, which is a condition where the
patient’s intestine get infected and presents itself through symptoms such as vomiting, nausea,
diarrhoea, chills, fever etc. for the patient. Other side effects of chemotherapy also include
fatigue, vomiting, hair loss, infertility, organ damage etc.
BACKGROUND
Chemotherapy can be defined as the drug treatment in which uses potential chemicals to kill
or prevent fast-growing cells or tissue in the body. It is most often use to diagnose cancer till
cancer cells grows faster and multiply more quickly as compared normal cells. Chemotherapy
treatment is quite painless but several chemicals which are more powerful causes feels slight
burning when they enter into veins. Chemotherapy means chemical therapy which is given to
those patients who suffers from cancer disease. The disease shows characteristic to enhance
growth of unwanted cell and kills normal cell to growth. While chemotherapy helps to kill these
unwanted cells by using powerful chemicals (Rubinsak and et.al., 2019). So, it gives side effects
in human body but doesn’t harm body functioning. The working of chemotherapy is quite
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simplest process such as it is initially targeted specified sells which grows and divide quickly as
cancer tissues do. Radiations are passed from the certain areas where chemo works on the cell
throughout body. Specifically, chemotherapy doesn’t cure cancer properly but it supports in the
other type of combination along with different type of treatment i.e. breast cancer, mouth cancer
and others. where chemotherapy reduces risk of cancer by treating with chemicals after surgery.
Chemotherapy is used by various cancer hospitals to treat different type of cancer patients. They
get side effects of chemotherapy such as loss of appetite, bowel issues i.e. constipation and
diarrhoea which is quite common, mouth sores, nail problem, hair loss and nausea. It gives
impact on the memory of cancer patient and they unable to remember things. Listening problem
also occurs in patient due to chemotherapy. Even most of the time chemotherapy increases risk
of infection in the cancer patient due to high chemical treatment.These is the side effect which
suffers by cancer patient while taking chemotherapy.
RATIONALE
The research is on side effects of chemotherapy on cancer patients. It is spot topic from past
few years because many of the patients who suffer from cancer disease have to face side effect of
chemotherapy. This method is highly popularized from several years which are used by various
cancer hospitals to treat cancer patients. But chemotherapy gives harmful side effect in human
body which causes get impairment in the body functioning. So, it is needed to research on the
topic to analyse cancer patient condition and impacts of chemotherapy.
Significance
The research topic has wide scope in the science field because it is highly demanding
topic. Primary care of cancer is available overall the world but last stage of cancer doesn’t have
cure still. Even chemotherapy which is used by various cancer centre to treat cancer but gets
more side effect on normal cell that causes have to face inconvenience by cancer patient. So, this
research helps other researchers and cancer centre and people to know about chemotherapy side
effect on cancer patient.
The purpose of this research paper is to evaluate the side effects of chemotherapy on Cancer
patients. This is of immense significance to the healthcare industry, organisation and
professionals as the number of cancer patients in the world keeps increasing and the side effects
to the most common treatment of Cancer should be publicly available for patients and healthcare
professionals to make an informed decision about the treatment process.
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THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS
Theme 1 The concept of chemotherapy method
As per the view of Oun, Moussa and Wheate, (2018) it is an aggressive form of
chemicals which is used for drug therapy. In simple word, it is used to destroy rapidly growing
cells in the body. The method is basically is used to treat cancer. It is used in combination with
different therapies i.e. surgery, hormone therapy or radiation therapy as per types of cancerous
cell. Cancer is disease which has various types such as mouth cancer, brain cancer, breast cancer,
skin cancer etc. and it became challenge for the world because it is fast growing cell disease that
directly leads death of human. Chemotherapy method stops cancerous cell to multiple growth by
interfering continuously by the drug. Chemotherapy is used to treat different stage of cancer but
specifically stage four cancer which is known as advanced cancer. This method plays essential
role in the cancer disease because it used to lower the total number of cancer cells in the cancer
patient body. It declines the likelihood of cancer spreading. It shrinks tumour size as well which
is not possible by surgery and others.
However, perspectives of writer Madmoli, (2018) have criticized about chemotherapy in
their published research paper. Chemotherapy is highly expensive method which is not
affordable for every cancer patient. It is more harmful for the cancer patient who takes
chemotherapy treatment to treat their cancer because it gives negative impact on their health.
Chemotherapy is the prescribed treatment for patients suffering from various stages of
cancer. It is a type of chemical drug therapy that is used on patients with the intention to
effectively and efficiently destroy the harmful and hazardous cancer cells and keep them from
multiplying to bigger sizes. As the cancer cells have a great multiplication rate and can
effectively double in a short period of time, chemotherapy treatment is preferred by healthcare
professionals to rapidly destroy cancer cells in the patient’s body and to avoid any further
increased damage from cancer (Poulopoulos, Papadopoulos and Andreadis, 2017). Though
chemotherapy is effective, its prescribed treatment by healthcare professionals is done in
combination or addition to other therapies designed to counter the cancer cells from wreaking
havoc inside the patient’s body such as radiation, surgery, hormone therapy etc. The combination
of the treatment is totally dependent on the patient’s health, growth of cancer in body, organ
which has been infected etc. Chemotherapy is widely used by healthcare professional due to its
ability to reduce cancer cells from multiplying and spreading, shrink tumour size by reducing the
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number of cancer cells present in the body which can help the patient recover or at least provide
him with more time with which other treatment methods can be tried (Aguilera Braico, Roldán,
Deamicis and Brie and Balogh, 2017).
Theme 2 Application of chemotherapy for treating cancer patients
As illustrated by Banach, Juranek and Zygulska, (2017) chemotherapy method is
worldwide famous method but uses in several cancer hospital because it carries high cost and
needs experts who can use specifically to treat cancer. The point is to discuss that why use
chemotherapy for treating cancer. the reason behind is that it is systematic process and use
chemical to destroy fast growing cell in the body. It is fast method instead of others like
medication because it is directly targeted certain area where unwanted cell growing number of
cancer cell. In the past years several chemical drug is used to treat only certain type of cancer but
standard type chemotherapy is quite different from traditional type chemo method. Standard type
chemotherapy uses large combination of different chemicals for treating different type of cancers
which works more better as compared past chemo method. The main goal of the chemotherapy
in the cancer treatment is to cure, control and palliation of cancer forever. Palliation is the
advanced stage of cancer which directly lead death but chemotherapy uses to prevent growth of
cancerous cell in the stage.
However, some authors have quoted in their published article about chemotherapy side
effect. This method is used to treat different type of cancer as well last stage of cancer but has
more side effect like risk of infection, impairment in organ functioning, drug interaction etc. it is
not good method to use over for the cancer patients.
Though chemotherapy is prescribed regularly by healthcare professionals as an effective
and efficient treatment for patients suffering from various stages of cancer, it can have major side
effects on the physical and mental health of the patients (Widianti, Yona and Waluyo, 2019).
Many of these are quite common to occur with patients undergoing the chemical drug therapy
that is chemotherapy, which can additionally hamper their body’s functioning though taking care
of their cancer. The most common side effects amongst patients is weight loss, hair loss, nausea,
vomiting, loss of appetite, insomnia, which can be relatively easily cured by adequate healthcare
services. Contrastingly, some side effects of chemotherapy can have major side effects on the
immune systems of patients, as the drugs used in chemotherapy tend to suppress the immune
systems of patients, which makes them increasingly susceptible to various kinds of infections,
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suffer excessive pain from nerve damage and undergo excessive bruising and bleeding in cases
of even minor injuries or scratches. Another major side effect of chemotherapy is its tendency to
make the patients infertile as many types of chemotherapies are gonad toxic in nature.
Theme 3 Side effect of chemotherapy on cancer patient
According to Alexander and et.al., (2017) chemotherapy is good method to treat cancer
and main thing it and be used in last stage as well for stopping growth of cancerous cell. But it
causes more side effects in cancer patients’ body like they get irritation in their skin after taking
chemotherapy treatment because sometime uses powerful chemicals to target cancer cell which
leads burning sensation in veins. It causes losses of hair due to high utilization of number of
chemicals for destroying cancer cells as result weak hair follicles. Nausea and vomiting also
consider into side effect of chemotherapy.
According to cancer doctors, chemotherapy leads dietary change which directly reduces
their appetite but it can recover by giving appetizers and anti-nausea medicines. Constipation and
diarrhoea is quite common side effect which occurs due to chemotherapy because it triggers
digestion cells while targeting cancerous cells. The method gives pain in patient body like
headache, muscle pain and stomach pain which generally occurs when nerve cells are damaged.
So it can say chemotherapy damages nerve such as burning, numbness etc.
The negative side effects of chemotherapy have lasting and immense impact on the
physical and mental health of patients suffering from various stages of cancer (Uzun and Kucuk,
2019). As many types of chemotherapies used by healthcare professionals are gonad toxic in
nature, it effectively suppresses the patient’s immune system operations making them
increasingly susceptible to major infections and diseases from minor cuts, scratches and bruises.
This has an immensely negative impact on the patient’s outdoor and social life, as patients are
constantly scared of getting bruises and scratches from minor outdoor incidents. This also has an
immensely negative impact on their mental health as they also cannot enjoy the freedoms that
they used to cherish prior to being diagnosed with cancer (Tian and et.al., 2019). Infertility
amongst interested women and mothers is another major cause of distress and depression
amongst the female patients, adding to the enormous stress of cancer, which affects them both
physically and mentally. In addition, many times chemotherapy results in impairing of cognitive
reasoning for its patients which not only results in them losing ability to perform daily duties
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effectively, also places quite a burden on their family and friends, further affecting the mental
wellbeing of the patient suffering from cancer.
Theme 4 Negative effect impact on the health and treatment of cancer patient
As per the view of Eghbali and et.al., (2016) there are several adverse effects of
chemotherapy includes early menopause and weight gain and often leads heart problem and
leukaemia as well. These are long-term side effect of chemotherapy which directly gives
negative impact on the health of cancer patient. Due to long-term side effect, it is impossible to
give chemotherapy according to process. Patient gets negative impact on their memory because
they face difficulties to memorize things. Immune system become of patient after chemotherapy
because immune cell get damage while radiation treatment. That why, the risk of serious
infection enhances in the cancer patient. They brush and bleed more easily by simple slashes
which are also considered into side effect because clotting agents are damaged by
chemotherapies. another impact of the method on the patient health is that they get trouble in
breathing because it damages lungs, declines its capacity which makes harder to get oxygen
when they need. It causes get rashes on patient body which causes they can’t go in sunlight due
to high burning sensation.
Other perspectives, Hammel and et.al., (2016) has given several suggestion to overcome the
side effects in their publishes articles. Side effect can overcome when patient follows overall
direction of doctor which they give because each chemical has own property i.e. allergic or
pungent. In that situation needs to consult with doctor about their issues so that can get rid off
over the time.
RESEARCH AIM, OBJECTIVES AND QUESTIONS
Aim
To evaluate the side effects of chemotherapy on Cancer patients
Objective
 To assess the effectiveness of chemotherapy methods in treating Cancer patients.
 To evaluate the side effects chemotherapy can have on cancer patients.
 To analyse ways in which negative effects of chemotherapy impact the health and treatment
of Cancer patient.
Research question
 Why chemotherapy is used to treat Cancer patients?
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 What are the side effects of chemotherapy on Cancer patients?
 How negative side effects impact the health and treatment of Cancer patient?
STUDY DESIGN AND METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION AND DATA
ANALYSIS
Study Design
The study design helps in ascertaining what kind of study will be undertaken i.e. the
manner in which evidences will be collected and analysed in order to conduct a research
satisfactorily where relevant and meaningful results are drawn from the collected data (Biswal
and Mehta, 2018). The data collection method as well as the data analysis methods basically
depends on the kind of research design that is being chosen for the intended research. The
current research is descriptive research where the systematic review on chemotherapy and its
impact on the cancer patients will be evaluated by using this research design.
Data Collection Methods
Data will be collected through secondary data collection techniques. The secondary
research will be conducted by assembling the relevant literature that has been published through
case studies, journal and other relevant articles etc. (Daniel and et.al., 2019). This will help in
synthesis of all the relevant details that can be collected for the research in the form of already
published literature and data. The selection of the papers would be on the basis of relevance of
the data that has been published and the effectiveness with which it will contribute in the existing
research of side effects of chemotherapy. Therefore, in the research collectively, secondary data
collection methods will be used for the process of completing research related to the impact of
chemotherapy and its side effects on the cancer treatment. This will ensure that the data collected
for the research is meaningful and helps in producing relevant results that can effectively
contribute in the purpose with which research is being conducted.
Data Analysis Methods
After the identification of the correct literature paper, i.e. research papers, articles o case
studies that can help in completion of effective research, helping in the achievement of
objectives, it is necessary to develop a proper mechanism for analysing the papers thus collected.
Systematic review technique can be adopted where the different aspects related to the collection
of the literature review will be evaluated on the basis of different themes that will be formulated
accordingly. Here the thematic analysis helps in formulation of different themes that can be used
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to develop appropriate concepts, findings etc. according to the theme that has been developed
(Abdulkareem and et.al., 2019). The research is presented in a simplified and attractive manner
where it can easily be interpreted without many complications. The interpretation gets easier
when the thematic analysis technique is used and this can be done in an impactful manner by
interpreting the results that have been recorded.
STUDY SETTINGS
The study setting can be used to ascertain that the manner in which the data will be collected
and further the justification of the selected approached for accessing the different research papers
relevant to the research and then adequately select them on the basis of the eligibility criteria
(Jungk and et.al., 2016). In the current research that is to be conducted on the side effects of
chemotherapy specifically in cancer patients will involve selection of the systematic review as
the study method where only secondary research will be completed and that too through the
different literature review and research papers that have already been published on the topic. The
research will be a completely secondary study and therefore it will become easier to collect the
data even through the different technological or other modes of assistance so that correct papers
that will contribute significantly can be used or collected (Yulianasari, Haniyah and Susanti,
2020). Additionally, there are no further specific requirements that need to be taken in
consideration for collecting the samples that will be required on the site. Therefore, the limited
area of side effects of chemotherapy only on cancer patients within which the research is being
conducted will help in the collection of complete data from the selected papers thus forming a
part of comprehensive research.
SAMEPLE AND RECRUITMENT
Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criterion helps in ascertaining which are those research papers that are
eligible to be included in the research. This collectively includes all the research papers that have
been published on the relevant topic that can qualify to be included in the research that has been
proposed on the chemotherapy and its side effects (García-Chías and et.al., 2019). The research
papers with the sample of patients that have undergone through the chemotherapy and its impact
on the cancer patients who have actually undergone through the treatment through this cancer are
the best constituents as the part on which the research of this topic on the side effects of
chemotherapy on cancer patients. Out of this abundance of research papers on side effects of
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chemotherapy there will be some common points on the basis of which some research papers
will be included as selected ones in the systematic research and others will be excluded.
Inclusion Criteria
The proposed research is on study of the certain side effects from the chemotherapy
treatment that has been given to the cancer patients. The papers that will be selected will be
based on the type of sample on whom study has been conducted i.e. it should mainly be on the
cancer patients regardless of the age, gender etc. papers will be selected on the analysis and study
that has been done on the different consequences that they have faced due to the chemotherapy
that they received (Widianti, Yona and Waluyo, 2019). The clinical conditions of the patients
selected in the sample would be mainly analysed along with the additional treatment that they
might have underwent through because of the side effects that occurred on such patients involved
in chemotherapy. However, only the quantitative papers that adequately address and satisfy
different aspects related to research on the cancer patients and have been developed in recent five
years will be selected rather than the selection of all the papers that have been published.
Exclusion Criteria
In the proposed research, all the research papers on patients who have underwent
chemotherapy will not be included and there are certain criteria on the basis of which majority of
the papers would be excluded from the proposed research. The first exclusion criterion is the
publishing journals or magazines, i.e. articles that are not published in some authentic books or
journals will be excluded immediately on the basis of lack of authenticity (Johnson and Haag,
2019). Additionally, systematic research papers on those patients who have not suffered any side
effects due to chemotherapy would also not be included in the research. Also, the research papers
which were published long back and the effects are no longer considered as major effects or have
completely vanished cannot be included in the research because of the redundancy that they will
render in the research. Therefore these are the criteria on whose basis there will be exclusion of
certain categories of published research papers.
Sampling
The technique of sampling helps in ultimately determining and ascertaining the selection of
a fewer eligible research papers who will ultimately contribute towards the conducting of a
comprehensive research. This is the most critical step as it helps in ascertaining that relevance
and validity of the research because the selected research papers will be used to interpret and
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