Medical oncology uses medications to selectively destroy cancer cells and allows normal cells, tissues and organs to regain their normal functioning. This treatment type can be used alone or in conjunction with other treatments, including surgery or radiation oncology.

 
Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with drugs that can destroy cancer cells. These drugs often are called “anticancer” drugs.

Cells in the body constantly grow and divide to replace old and damaged cells and to maintain health. Normally, all cells divide and reproduce themselves in an orderly and controlled fashion. When cancer occurs, abnormal cells in the body keep dividing and forming more cells without control, forming a tumor.

Chemotherapy destroys cancer cells by stopping them from growing or multiplying at one or more points in their life cycle. Healthy cells can also be affected, however, especially those that divide quickly. This damage to healthy cells what causes side effects, although these cells usually repair themselves once chemotherapy has ended. Often two or more drugs are often given at the same time, since some drugs work better together than alone. This is known as combination chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy may be used in combination with other treatments, such as surgery, or radiation therapy. This is called adjuvant chemotherapy. Its purpose is to kill any cancer cells that might have been missed. Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy is given before surgery in order to shrink the tumor so it can be removed with fewer complications. Primary chemotherapy is used to attempt a cure when the cancer is thought to have spread. Palliative chemotherapy is used to slow the growth of an incurable cancer.

Chemotherapy is generally administered into a vein, or sometimes by pill. Treatments are often given in cycles — a period of treatment followed by recovery, then another treatment. Chemotherapy can be administered in a hospital outpatient department, as a hospital inpatient, a doctor’s office, clinic, or at home. Most patients are not hospitalized for chemotherapy treatments, but receive them in an outpatient setting.