Chemotherapy
What is Chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is a term used to describe cytotoxic (cancer cell-killing) drugs which destroy cancer cells and can be used to treat cancer that has spread, or as a way to prevent cancer from returning, sometimes in conjunction with surgery and/or radiation therapy. Usually, these cancer-fighting drugs are given intravenously (injected into a vein) or as a pill by mouth. Either way, the drugs travel through the bloodstream to the entire body. In this way, chemotherapy is different from more localized treatments such as surgery or radiation therapy. Medical oncologists sometimes use only a single cytotoxic drug. Other times, a combination of drugs will be prescribed, depending on the tumor type and location(s).
Medical oncologists typically prescribe chemotherapy in cycles, with a period of treatment followed by a rest period. The chemotherapy is given during the first part of each cycle, and then the body is allowed time to recover from the effects. The length of rest between treatments varies according to the specific chemotherapy drug or combination of drugs, just as the total duration of treatment will vary.