Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that uses powerful chemicals to kill fast-growing cells in your body. Chemotherapy is most often used to treat cancer, since cancer cells grow and multiply much more quickly than most cells in the body. Many different chemotherapy drugs are available. Chemotherapy drugs can be used alone or in combination to treat a wide variety of cancer.
Though chemotherapy is an effective way to treat many types of cancer, chemotherapy treatment also carries a risk of side effects. Some chemotherapy side effects are mild and treatable, while others can cause serious complications.
A course of treatment can range from a single dose on one day to a few weeks, depending on the type and stage of cancer. Those who need more than one course of treatment will have a rest period to allow their body to recover.
A person might have treatment on one day, followed by a week’s rest, then another one-day treatment followed by a three-week rest period, and so on. A person may repeat this several times. Some people may find talking to a counselor about the mental and emotional aspects of cancer and chemotherapy helpful.
Chemotherapy is commonly given at regular intervals called cycles. A cycle may be a dose of one or more drugs on one or more days, followed by several days or weeks without treatment. This gives normal cells time to recover from drug side effects. Sometimes, doses may be given a certain number of days in a row, or every other day for several days, followed by a period of rest. Some drugs work best when given continuously over a set number of days.
Some chemotherapy drugs have proved useful in treating other conditions, such as:
Bone marrow diseases. Diseases that affect the bone marrow and blood cells may be treated with a bone marrow transplant, also known as a stem cell transplant. Chemotherapy is often used to prepare for a bone marrow transplant.
Immune system disorders. Lower doses of chemotherapy drugs can help control an overactive immune system in certain diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.