Cancer Treatment

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs or medications to treat disease.  The word chemotherapy comes from two words, "Chemical" and "Treatment."  The term is commonly used to refer to cancer treatment.  Just as there are many antibiotics to treat infections, there are many different chemotherapies to treat different cancers.  The chemotherapy drugs selected depend on the type of cancer being treated.

Chemotherapy may be used in a variety of ways.  They include:

Combined chemotherapy is the use of more than one drug in a treatment.  Combined modality treatment is the use of chemotherapy with the addition of surgery and/or radiation therapy.  Adjuvant chemotherapy is the use of chemotherapy to destroy cancer cells which may still be present after surgery.  Single agent chemotherapy is the use of one chemotherapeutic agent.

Chemotherapy is given to stop the growth of cancer cells and to kill cancer cells.  Several different routes may give it.  It may be taken by mouth, injected into a muscle, or injected into a vein.  The type of cancer and the drugs used determine the route by which the chemotherapy is given.

The side effects of treatment occur because the chemotherapy cannot tell the difference between cancer cells and healthy cells.  Chemotherapy is targeted towards rapidly growing cells and, therefore, those areas of the body with rapid cell growth will be affected.  These areas include bone marrow, bowel lining, reproductive system, and hair.  Side effects are different for each person.  Your nurse will discuss with you the side effects you are most likely to experience and how to manage them.