What is chemotherapy?
• Chemotherapy is a treatment that uses drugs designed to destroy or prevent further growth of cancer cells. Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment, meaning that the drugs flow through the bloodstream to nearly every part of the body. • Many times, two or more chemotherapy drugs are used together in combination therapy to enhance their effectiveness. Chemotherapy can be used in conjunction with surgery or radiation treatment. Chemotherapy given before surgery and/or radiation is called neoadjuvant therapy. Chemotherapy given with radiation or after surgery is known as adjuvant therapy. • Chemotherapy can be used to stop cancer from spreading, slow the growth of cancer, relieve symptoms that are caused by cancer and reduce the risk of cancer returning.
Chemotherapy is treatment with anticancer drugs and is normally administered intravenously (through the vein) or orally in the form of pills or liquid. Chemotherapy may be used alone or in conjunction with lumpectomy or mastectomy to treat breast cancer patients. Chemotherapy is a systemic form of treatment; it flows through the bloodstream, affecting the entire body. Its purpose is to interfere with the DNA synthesis of cancer cells. The appropriate combination of drugs used during chemotherapy will be determined by the patient’s cancer treatment team, based on the individual medical situation and cancer tumor characteristics.
