Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the use of cytotoxic drugs in the treatment of cancer. It is one of the treatment modalities that provide cure, control or palliation. Cytotoxic chemotherapy refers to medications that prevent cancer cells from dividing and growing. The aims of chemotherapy are:

• To achieve a complete cure and also possible to kill all the cancer cells using chemotherapy alone (in some cases).
• To help make other treatment modality more successful, ie chemotherapy combines with radiation therapy.
• To reduce of cancer returning. Chemotherapy course is given after surgery to remove cancerous cells.
• To relieve a symptom. For a cancer which has reached an advanced stage, chemotherapy could relieve symptoms and slow down the cancer’s spread which cure may not be possible.

Chemotherapy can be delivered in many ways. It is either as a course combined with another treatment modality like surgery or radiation therapy called adjuvant therapy or the chemo is administered to shrink the tumor before it is removed through surgery which is called neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

You might also be interested in the following pages.

	Radiation Therapy Radiotherapy or radiation therapy is one of the effective cancer treatments that using ionizing radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.
	Chemotherapy Process Chemotherapy will be given over a set period of time in order for it to be effective. Your attending oncologist will plan a chemotherapy protocol and outline when and for how long you will receive your chemotherapy.