Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with drugs that can destroy cancer cells.  These drugs are called "anticancer" drugs. 

How Does Chemotherapy Work?

Normal cells grow and die in a controlled way.  When cancer occurs, cells in the body that are not normal keep dividing and forming more cells without control.  Anticancer drugs destroy cancer cells and keep them from growing or multiplying.  Healthy cells can also be harmed, especially those that divide.  Harm to healthy cells is what causes side effects.  These cells usually repair themselves after chemotherapy. 

Is Chemotherapy Used With Other Treatments?

Sometimes chemotherapy is the only treatment a patient receives.  More often, however, chemotherapy is used in addition to surgery, radiation therapy, and/or biological therapy to:

• Shrink a tumor before surgery or radiation therapy.  This is called neo-adjuvant therapy.
• Help destroy any cancer cells that may remain after surgery and/or radiation therapy.  This is called adjuvant chemotherapy.
• Make radiation therapy and biological therapy work better.
• Help destroy cancer if it recurs or has spread to other parts of the body for the original site.

Which Drugs Are Given?

Some chemotherapy drugs are used for many different types of cancer, while others might be used for just one or two types of cancer. Your doctor recommends a treatment plan based on:

• What kind of cancer you have.
• What part of the body the cancer is found.
• The effect of cancer on your normal body functions.
• Your general health.

reprinted in part from National Cancer Institute website: www.nci.nih.gov/cancertopics/chemotherapy-and-you

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