What does NACT mean in CLINICAL MEDICINE

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that involves administering chemotherapy drugs prior to surgery or other primary treatments. It is used when cancer has spread too far or surgery is not an option.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy works by targeting cells that are rapidly reproducing, such as cancerous cells. The chemotherapy drugs interfere with cell division which can stop the tumor from growing, shrink the tumor size and reduce metastasis (the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another).

Patients who have advanced cancers that cannot be surgically removed may benefit from neoadjuvant chemotherapy. This treatment option can also be beneficial for patients whose tumors are too large or located in difficult areas that may require more complex surgical techniques.

Common side effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy include fatigue, hair loss, nausea, vomiting and mouth sores. Some other potential side effects include increased risk of infection, blood clots and secondary cancers due to exposure to radiation or chemo drugs.

Generally speaking, neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been proven to be an effective treatment for many types of cancers when combined with other primary treatments such as surgery and radiation therapy. The effectiveness varies depending on factors such as type and stage of the tumor, overall health status and responsiveness to chemo drugs.