Chemotherapy

What is chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to treat cancer. The drugs often are called "anticancer" drugs.

How does chemotherapy work?

Normal cells grow and die in a controlled way. Cancer occurs when cells become abnormal and keep dividing and forming more cells without control or order. Chemotherapy destroys cancer cells by stopping them from growing or multiplying. Some drugs work better together than alone, so chemotherapy often may consist of more than one drug.

Other types of drugs may be used to treat your cancer. These may include certain drugs that block the effect of hormones. Doctors may also use biological therapy to boost the body's natural defenses against cancer.

Depending on the type of cancer and its stage of development, chemotherapy can be used:

To cure cancer
To keep cancer from spreading.
To slow the cancer's growth.
To kill cancer cells that may have spread to other parts of the body from the original tumor.
To relieve symptoms that may be caused by the cancer.

Chemotherapy also can help people live more comfortably; this is known as palliative care.

Your doctor decides which drug or drugs will work best for you. The decision depends on what kind of cancer you have, where it is, the extent of its growth, how it is affecting your normal body functions, and your general health.

Your doctor may also suggest that you consider a clinical trial for chemotherapy, or you may want to bring up this option with your doctor. Clinical trials are carefully designed research studies that test promising new cancer treatments. Patients who take part in research may be the first to benefit from improved treatment methods. These patients also can make an important contribution to medical care because the results of the studies may help many people. Patients participate in clinical trials only if they choose to and are free to withdraw at any time.

For appointments you can contact the scheduling desk at (573) 882-8445.