Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsDefinitionConditions TreatedWho Administers ChemoTypesProcessHow to PrepareSide EffectsOutcomes and RecoveryFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Definition
Conditions Treated
Who Administers Chemo
Types
Process
How to Prepare
Side Effects
Outcomes and Recovery
Frequently Asked Questions
There are manytypes of chemotherapyto treat cancer and other conditions. When starting therapy, many people worry about the process, how treatment works, how it will make them feel, and what side effects to expect.
In this article, we’ll discuss what to expect from chemotherapy, how well it works, and the process you will go through during treatment.
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Each type of chemotherapy drug does this a little bit differently, at a different time in the cell’s reproductive cycle. Some drugs may affect the genes as the cell is about to split, and others, as copies of genes are being made before the split occurs.
Despite their individual differences, most chemotherapy drugs follow the same pattern in terms of how they work in the body: The medication enters the nucleus and damages the genes of the cells.
There are hundreds of types of chemotherapy, and your doctor will choose one or more based on the type, location, and stage of your cancer or other disease. Chemotherapy comes in a variety of forms that can be given:
Most chemotherapies are given systemically—meaning they impact the entire body—but some may also be given as targeted therapies. This means that the medication is directed toward a specific area of the body to focus the treatment there and possibly reduce the impact on other parts of the body. Some examples of direct or targeted chemotherapies include:
Chemo medications are generally split into several classes or categories.
Alkylating Agents
These are used to treat cancers such as:
Examples of specific medications include:
Antimetabolites
These are used to treat cancers like:
Antitumor Antibiotics
These are used to treat a wide variety of cancers.
Topoisomerase Inhibitors
Mitotic Inhibitors
How Chemotherapy Is Used to Treat CancerChemo can be used in different ways to treat cancer, including:Adjuvant therapy:This is when chemotherapy is used to kill cancer cells after a surgical or radiation treatment, or along with other treatments.Curative therapy:Refers to when chemotherapy is used as the only treatment for your cancer.Neoadjuvant therapy:This is used to shrink tumors before surgical or radiation treatment.Palliative therapy:This is when chemotherapy is used to control—but not cure—your cancer in an effort to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.
How Chemotherapy Is Used to Treat Cancer
Chemo can be used in different ways to treat cancer, including:Adjuvant therapy:This is when chemotherapy is used to kill cancer cells after a surgical or radiation treatment, or along with other treatments.Curative therapy:Refers to when chemotherapy is used as the only treatment for your cancer.Neoadjuvant therapy:This is used to shrink tumors before surgical or radiation treatment.Palliative therapy:This is when chemotherapy is used to control—but not cure—your cancer in an effort to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.
Chemo can be used in different ways to treat cancer, including:
For chemotherapy given intravenously, the type and duration of your therapy and how you will receive your medication will be set when you are ready to start treatment. In the past, chemotherapy was administered in an inpatient setting, but now most therapies take place as outpatient treatments in special offices or facilities.
In most cases, a nurse or infusion specialist will administer the medication over several hours, which includes time for observation after your treatment session is complete.
The typical process at an infusion appointment may follow these steps:
When chemotherapy is given through a vein, it may be more convenient and safer to have a semipermanent site rather than having intravenous access placed for every infusion. Options for intravenous chemotherapy include:
Next, your doctor will determine the type of medication, frequency, and duration of your chemotherapy cycle. There are many factors to consider when determining the length and frequency of a chemotherapy cycle, and each cycle can last for several months or even as long as a year.
Why Is Chemo Effective?The reason chemotherapy is so effective in killing cancer cells is that these types of cells divide quickly and reproduce rapidly to form a mass commonly known as a tumor. These tumors overtake normally functioning cells and tissues. As these masses of cells grow larger, they can create obstructions or interfere with the normal function of tissue.
Why Is Chemo Effective?
The reason chemotherapy is so effective in killing cancer cells is that these types of cells divide quickly and reproduce rapidly to form a mass commonly known as a tumor. These tumors overtake normally functioning cells and tissues. As these masses of cells grow larger, they can create obstructions or interfere with the normal function of tissue.
Not everyone experiences side effects from chemotherapy, and how severe the side effects are can vary from one person to the next. Even if you do have side effects, your medical team will likely prescribe additional medications to help you manage them.
Since chemotherapy medications target cells in their reproductive phase, other healthy cells that undergo rapid reproduction are also vulnerable to side effects. These include:
The most common side effects of chemotherapy include:
Each class of chemotherapy can cause additional side effects:
Some side effects may last just a few hours, and others may be morepermanent. Typically, side effects like headache and nausea will pass, while damage to the heart, kidneys, or nerves can be long-lasting.
You will also want to talk to your doctor about any other medications or vitamins you take while you receive chemotherapy since some can interact with chemo drugs.
New Strategies for ChemotherapyTraditionally, chemotherapy dosing has been a balancing act between giving the highest possible doses of chemotherapy medication to kill high numbers of cancer cells while sparing as many healthy cells as possible.A new type of chemo treatment called metronomic chemotherapy involves the use of continuous or regular low doses of chemotherapy over a longer period of time. The goal is to stop the growth of new blood vessels that feed cancer cells while causing less severe side effects than traditional chemotherapy regimens.
New Strategies for Chemotherapy
Traditionally, chemotherapy dosing has been a balancing act between giving the highest possible doses of chemotherapy medication to kill high numbers of cancer cells while sparing as many healthy cells as possible.A new type of chemo treatment called metronomic chemotherapy involves the use of continuous or regular low doses of chemotherapy over a longer period of time. The goal is to stop the growth of new blood vessels that feed cancer cells while causing less severe side effects than traditional chemotherapy regimens.
Traditionally, chemotherapy dosing has been a balancing act between giving the highest possible doses of chemotherapy medication to kill high numbers of cancer cells while sparing as many healthy cells as possible.
A new type of chemo treatment called metronomic chemotherapy involves the use of continuous or regular low doses of chemotherapy over a longer period of time. The goal is to stop the growth of new blood vessels that feed cancer cells while causing less severe side effects than traditional chemotherapy regimens.
There is no definitive prognosis for any type of cancer—with or without chemotherapy. Your prognosis depends on several factors:
A medication or treatment that works for one person with a certain type of cancer may not work as well with someone else who has the same type of cancer.Some cancers are more responsive to chemotherapy than others, too. You and your medical team should go over this information together when developing your plan of care.
Summary
Chemo drugs can be administered intravenously into your bloodstream, taken orally, applied topically, or injected as a shot. They are effective at treating cancer, but can affect healthy cells in the process, leading to side effects like hair loss and fatigue.
What happens during chemotherapy?
During chemotherapy, you will arrive at an outpatient infusion center, have a brief assessment, and begin your infusion. Infusions usually last several hours, but you do not have to stay overnight. It’s a good idea to have someone drive you home afterward.
An Overview of What Happens During Chemotherapy
Can chemotherapy treatment be painful?
Some side effects can cause pain, like neuropathy. This nerve pain can create tingling or numbness in your hands and feet. But not everyone has side effects or neuropathy from chemo, and some people may have mild and fleeting side effects, like nausea or fatigue.
Is chemotherapy required for certain stages of cancer?
Chemotherapy is never required. How you treat your cancer is a decision that is made between you and your doctor. Chemotherapy is generally more effective in earlier stages of cancer. Treatments usually don’t work as well when cancer is detected in advanced stages.
How effective is chemotherapy?
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Cancer Research UK.How chemotherapy works.
Cleveland Clinic.Chemotherapy.
MedLinePlus.Types of chemotherapy.
National Cancer Institute.Chemotherapy to treat cancer.
American Cancer Society.Chemotherapy side effects.
Romiti, A., Cox, M.C., Sarcina, I. et al.Metronomic chemotherapy for cancer treatment: a decade of clinical studies.Cancer Chemother Pharmacol.February 12, 2013;72: 13–33. doi:10.1007/s00280-013-2125-x
National Institutes of Health.Metronomic chemotherapy.
National Institutes of Health.Understanding cancer prognosis.
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