 What
Is Chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with drugs that
can destroy cancer cells. These drugs often 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 by stopping them
from growing or multiplying. Healthy cells can also
be harmed, especially those that divide quickly. Harm
to healthy cells is what causes side effects. These
cells usually repair themselves after chemotherapy.
Because some drugs work better together than alone,
two or more drugs are often given at the same time.
This is called combination chemotherapy.
Other types of drugs may be used to treat your cancer.
These may include certain drugs that can block the effect
of your body's hormones. Or doctors may use biological
therapy, which is treatment with substances that boost
the body's own immune system against cancer. Your body
usually makes these substances in small amounts to fight
cancer and other diseases. These substances can be made
in the laboratory and given to patients to destroy cancer
cells or change the way the body reacts to a tumor.
They may also help the body repair or make new cells
destroyed by chemotherapy.
What
Can Chemotherapy Do?
Depending on the type of cancer and how advanced it
is, chemotherapy can be used for different goals:
" To cure the cancer. Cancer is considered cured
when the patient remains free of evidence of cancer
cells.
" To control the cancer. This is done by keeping
the cancer from spreading; slowing the cancer's growth;
and killing cancer cells that may have spread to other
parts of the body from the original tumor.
" To relieve symptoms that the cancer may cause.
Relieving symptoms such as pain can help patients live
more comfortably.
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 from the original tumor.
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.
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What
Is Chemotherapy?
