ABOUT CHEMOTHERAPY

Chemotherapy, or ‘chemo’, is the most common form of cancer treatment.

Chemo uses drugs called cytotoxic to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells. While chemotherapy drugs can stop cancer cells from growing and multiplying, they also affect normal, healthy cells in the process.

That is why fast growing cells like those in our hair and inside our mouth are damaged by chemotherapy.

The most effective way of killing cancer through chemotherapy is by using a number of different drugs rather than relying on one. Each period of chemotherapy treatment is called a cycle. After each cycle there is usually a rest period, so that normal cells repair themselves and the body begins to regain its strength.

How is it given?

Chemo drugs can be given in a variety of ways, depending on the type of cancer one has and the chemotherapy drugs used. Most often chemotherapy is given by injection into a vein. This is known as intravenous chemotherapy.

Some drugs are given as tablets or capsules (oral chemotherapy).

Some are injected into a muscle (intramuscular injection).

Others may be injected just under the skin (subcutaneous injection). Chemotherapy treatments can be given daily, weekly or monthly for several months to a year. It depends on the type of chemotherapy you get, and how long it takes for new healthy cells to grow between treatments.