Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is treatment with anti-cancer drugs given to destroy or control cancer cells.

There are over 50 different chemotherapy drugs which can be given on their own or with other chemotherapy drugs. This is called combination chemotherapy.

How chemotherapy works

Chemotherapy drugs destroy cancer cells by damaging them so they cannot divide and grow. They work by entering your blood stream and reaching all parts of your body. This is called systemic treatment. 

Chemotherapy drugs can affect normal cells which can cause side effects. These side effects are normally temporary as the healthy cells grow back to normal quickly. Permanent damage is rare with most chemotherapy.

There are three main reasons why we give chemotherapy to patients:

• Neo-adjuvant therapy: chemotherapy given before surgery with the aim to shrink the tumor, allowing the surgeon to have a better chance of removing a cancer.
• Adjuvant therapy: given after surgery, usually to prevent the cancer coming back again in the future.
• Palliative chemotherapy: if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, the aim is to relieve symptoms and slow the growth of the cancer.