Usually, treatment is given 5 days a week for 5 to 6 weeks. This schedule helps to protect healthy tissues by dividing the total amount of radiation into small doses. Generally, an implant is left in place for several days, and you will stay in the hospital in a private room. The length of time nurses and other caregivers, as well as visitors, can spend with you will be limited. The implant is removed before you go home.
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells.
Researchers are looking for effective drugs or drug combinations to treat oral cancer. They are also exploring ways to combine chemotherapy with other forms of cancer treatment to help destroy the tumor and prevent the disease from spreading. Researchers are developing treatment methods that are more effective against oral cancer, and they are also finding ways to reduce side effects of treatment. When laboratory research shows that a new method has promise, doctors use it to treat cancer patients in clinical trials. These trials are designed to answer scientific questions about the new approach and to find out whether it is both safe and effective.