Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is used to treat a lot of cancers. It often is given in combination with other cancer therapies. Chemotherapy is an effective and important part of total cancer care. Each patient is different, so chemotherapy treatment is tailored to the patient’s specific needs.

What is chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy drugs are used to prevent rapid growth and division of cancer cells. Cancer cells generally grow and divide faster than healthy cells, so chemotherapy destroys cancer cells more quickly than it destroys most healthy cells.

Chemotherapy drugs travel throughout the body and kill cancer cells wherever they are located, and is a very effective treatment for many types of cancer, such as breast cancer and lymphoma.

Intravenous Chemotherapy

Also called IV therapy, intravenous chemo often is through a catheter tube in a vein. Some patients are given an IV infusion device, which stay in longer than an IV catheter.

Injected Chemotherapy

Given as a shot, usually in a muscle, the fatty part of an arm or leg, or the belly.

Intra-Arterial (IA) Chemotherapy

Using a thin catheter, chemotherapy directly targets a tumor while sparing healthy tissue.

Intraperitoneal (IP) Therapy

Chemotherapy is delivered directly into the peritoneum (tissue lining the stomach cavity and surrounding abdominal organs). It targets cancers directly.

Oral Chemotherapy

Drugs may be taken in pill, capsule or liquid form.

Topical Chemotherapy

Cream rubbed on the skin.

Side Effects

Chemotherapy may cause these common side effects: