Among the many methods of treating cancer, including radiotherapy, surgical treatment and chemotherapy, there is an additional division based on the way the drugs are administered. This distinction relates to, among other things, chemotherapy, which can be administered intravenously (in the form of infusions over many hours), intramuscularly (in the form of injections) or orally (in the form of tablets). The decision as to which treatment method is optimal for a particular patient is made by the doctor, often in consultation with the patient.

Thanks to developments in oncology medicine, not only the composition of chemotherapy, but the way it is administered is becoming more modern. In practice, not all intravenous chemotherapy can be replaced by oral chemotherapy, but in colorectal cancer, gastric cancer and some cases of breast cancer, yes.

Oral versus intravenous chemotherapy

The main difference between oral and intravenous chemotherapy is the way the drug is taken. Intravenous chemotherapy involves the application of the drug by injection or drip. The patient arrives at the hospital for a follow-up medical examination and administration of the drug. This usually takes a few hours and takes place in the day ward. In cases where the administration of the drug needs to take place over several hours or the drug needs to be administered in short intervals, the patient is hospitalised for several days. Oral chemotherapy is given in the form of tablets, which the patient can take, among other things, at home, once the appropriate dose has been established.

Home treatment provides the patient with psychological comfort and, above all, the comfort and feeling that his or her cancer is, like other conditions, a chronic disease that can be treated at home by taking tablets regularly. A patient receiving oral chemotherapy can pursue his or her personal and professional plans without having to spend hours or days in hospitals.