Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a term used to describe cytotoxic (cancer cell-killing) drugs
which destroy cancer cells and can be used to treat cancer that has spread, or
as a way to prevent cancer from returning, sometimes in conjunction with
surgery and/or radiation therapy. Usually, these cancer-fighting drugs are
given intravenously (injected into a vein) or as a pill by mouth. Either way,
the drugs travel through the bloodstream to the entire body. In this way,
chemotherapy is different from more localized treatments such as surgery or
radiation therapy. Medical oncologists sometimes use only a single cytotoxic
drug. Other times, a combination of drugs will be prescribed, depending on the
tumor type and location(s).
Medical oncologists typically prescribe chemotherapy in cycles, with a period
of treatment followed by a rest period. The chemotherapy is given during the
first part of each cycle, and then the body is allowed time to recover from the
effects. The length of rest between treatments varies according to the specific
chemotherapy drug or combination of drugs, just as the total duration of
treatment will vary.