What is Chemo?
Chemo is medicine used to shrink a tumor or kill cancer cells. Chemo can help cure cancer, prevent cancer from spreading, and relieve symptoms caused by cancer. You may get chemo at home, in your healthcare provider's office, in a clinic, or in a hospital. Chemo may be given to you 1 or more ways.
What are the different types of chemotherapy?
For instance, chemotherapy drugs can be given directly in the abdomen (intraperitoneal chemotherapy), chest cavity (intrapleural chemotherapy) or central nervous system (intrathecal chemotherapy). Chemotherapy can also be given through the urethra into the bladder (intravesical chemotherapy).
How are chemotherapy drugs given for cancer?
How chemotherapy drugs are given. Chemotherapy can be given directly to the cancer or, after surgery, where the cancer once was. As an example, thin disk-shaped wafers containing chemotherapy drugs can be placed near a tumor during surgery. The wafers break down over time, releasing chemotherapy drugs.
What type of chemo do I Need?
The type of chemo you need; What is oral chemo? Oral chemo is given as a pill or liquid. It is usually taken at home. What is intravenous (IV) chemo? IV chemo is injected into your vein. Your healthcare provider may insert an IV each time you get chemo or use a central venous catheter (CVC). A CVC is an IV that is inserted through a large vein ...
What are 4 types of treatments for cancer?
The most common treatments are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Other options include targeted therapy, immunotherapy, laser, hormonal therapy, and others. Here is an overview of the different treatments for cancer and how they work. Surgery is a common treatment for many types of cancer.
What are 3 popular treatments for cancer?
Cancer treatment options include:Surgery. The goal of surgery is to remove the cancer or as much of the cancer as possible.Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells.Radiation therapy. ... Bone marrow transplant. ... Immunotherapy. ... Hormone therapy. ... Targeted drug therapy. ... Cryoablation.More items...
What are the types of chemotherapy?
What types of chemotherapy are there?Alkylating agents.Antimetabolites.Anti-tumor antibiotics.Topoisomerase inhibitors.Mitotic inhibitors.Plant alkaloids.
What are the most commonly used chemotherapy drugs?
Alkylating agents were among the first anti-cancer drugs and are the most commonly used agents in chemotherapy today.
What are the 9 types of cancer treatments?
Types of Cancer TreatmentBiomarker Testing for Cancer Treatment. ... Chemotherapy. ... Hormone Therapy. ... Hyperthermia. ... Immunotherapy. ... Photodynamic Therapy. ... Radiation Therapy. ... Stem Cell Transplant.More items...
What is the most successful cancer treatment?
Top of the best cancer drug list is Celgene's Revlimid (lenalidomide). This drug has been very successful in the treatment of multiple myeloma as it promotes immune responses that slow tumour growth. It is also used to treat myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).
What is the name of the strongest chemotherapy?
Doxorubicin (Adriamycin) is one of the most powerful chemotherapy drugs ever invented. It can kill cancer cells at every point in their life cycle, and it's used to treat a wide variety of cancers. Unfortunately, the drug can also damage heart cells, so a patient can't take it indefinitely.
What are the 6 classes of chemotherapy drugs?
Types of chemotherapy drugsAlkylating agents. This group of medicines works directly on DNA to keep the cell from reproducing itself. ... Nitrosoureas. ... Anti-metabolites. ... Plant alkaloids and natural products. ... Anti-tumor antibiotics. ... Hormonal agents. ... Biological response modifiers.
What is palliative chemotherapy?
Clarification regarding the term palliative chemotherapy is critical: palliative chemotherapy is defined as chemotherapy that is given in the non-curative setting to optimize symptom control, improve quality of life (QoL) and, ideally, to improve survival.
What are the newest chemotherapy drugs?
The FDA approved rituximab (Rituxan, Genentech) in combination with chemotherapy for pediatric patients (≥6 months to <18 years of age) with previously untreated, advanced-stage, CD20-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma, Burkitt-like lymphoma or mature B-cell acute leukemia.
How many rounds of chemo can a person have?
During a course of treatment, you usually have around 4 to 8 cycles of treatment. A cycle is the time between one round of treatment until the start of the next. After each round of treatment you have a break, to allow your body to recover.
What is the name of the chemo pill?
Capecitabine is the generic name for the trade name drug Xeloda. In some cases, health care professionals may use the trade name Xeloda when referring to the generic drug name capecitabine.
What is IA chemo?
This type of chemo stays in one part of your body. This help decrease your risk for side effects. It may be used to treat a tumor in your liver, arm, or leg. IA chemo may also be known as regional chemo.
How is intrapleural chemo used?
It may also be used to remove extra fluid from around your lung. Intrapleural chemo may be used to treat cancer in the lining of your lung or the fluid that surrounds your lung.
Where is chemo injected?
IT chemo is injected into the fluid around your spine and brain. It may be given through a needle that is inserted into your spine or through a device in your brain. This device is called an Ommaya reservoir. It is inserted during a surgical procedure and stays in place for your entire treatment.
How does chemo work?
Chemo is medicine used to shrink a tumor or kill cancer cells. Chemo can help cure cancer, prevent cancer from spreading, and relieve symptoms caused by cancer. You may get chemo at home, in your healthcare provider's office, in a clinic, or in a hospital. Chemo may be given to you 1 or more ways. The way that you get chemotherapy may depend on: 1 The type of cancer you have 2 Where the cancer is in your body 3 The type of chemo you need
How is chemotherapy given?
Chemotherapy is most often given as an infusion into a vein (intravenously). The drugs can be given by inserting a tube with a needle into a vein in your arm or into a device in a vein in your chest.
Why is chemo used?
Why it's done. Chemotherapy is used to kill cancer cells in people with cancer. There are a variety of settings in which chemotherapy may be used in people with cancer: To cure the cancer without other treatments. Chemotherapy can be used as the primary or sole treatment for cancer. After other treatments, to kill hidden cancer cells.
Why is chemo used for bone marrow 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.
What is the best treatment for skin cancer?
Chemotherapy creams. Creams or gels containing chemotherapy drugs can be applied to the skin to treat certain types of skin cancer. Chemotherapy drugs used to treat one area of the body. Chemotherapy drugs can be given directly to one area of the body.
What is the treatment for cancer?
Overview. 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.
Why is chemotherapy used?
To prepare you for other treatments. Chemotherapy can be used to shrink a tumor so that other treatments, such as radiation and surgery, are possible. Doctors call this neoadjuvant therapy. To ease signs and symptoms. Chemotherapy may help relieve signs and symptoms of cancer by killing some of the cancer cells.
What doctor do you see during chemotherapy?
You'll meet with your cancer doctor (oncologist) regularly during chemotherapy treatment. Your oncologist will ask about any side effects you're experiencing, since many can be controlled. Depending on your situation, you may also undergo scans and other tests to monitor your cancer during chemotherapy treatment.
What is the most common drug used for chemo?
According to the National Cancer Institute, alkylating agents are the most common category of drugs used in chemotherapy today. Alkylating agents damage the DNA of cancer cells and prevent them from dividing. Some of the drugs that fall into this category include: chlorambucil. cyclophosphamide.
What are the main categories of chemotherapy drugs?
your personal preferences. Chemotherapy drugs are broadly classified based on their mode of action. The main categories include: alkylating agents. plant alkaloids (topoisomerase inhibitors and mitotic inhibitors) anti-metabolites. anti-tumor antibiotics.
What cancers are chemotherapy used for?
Type of chemotherapy. Cancer it may be used to treat. alkylating agents. multiple myeloma sarcoma. Hodgkin’s disease. lung cancer. breast cancer.
What is the treatment for cancer?
Cancer is a large group of conditions caused by the rapid division of abnormal cells. Chemotherapy is one treatment option that involves receiving medication that keeps cancer cells from spreading.
How many chemotherapy drugs are approved for cancer?
One 2017 study. Trusted Source. showed that the FDA approved at least 150 chemotherapy drugs to treat cancer.
What are the different types of cancers that are treated with corticosteroids?
lung cancer. colorectal cancer. ovarian cancer. prostate cancer. Corticosteroids, or just steroids, are hormone-like drugs used in the treatment of many illnesses. They may be used during chemotherapy to directly treat cancer or help prevent gastric side effects and allergic reactions caused by other drugs.
What are the side effects of chemotherapy?
More than half of the people who receive chemotherapy experience at least one side effect. The most common side effects are: fatigue. diarrhea. constipation. Keep reading as we break down the different types of chemotherapies used to treat cancer, and what to expect in terms of side effects.
Types of chemotherapy
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved at least 61 cytotoxic drugs for cancer to date. These drugs can be broadly classified based on their mode of action (the way they work in the cell).
Risks and side effects
Though chemotherapy mainly acts on rapidly dividing cancer cells, it can also damage or kill other cells in the body, especially:
Alternative options to cancer treatment
Chemotherapy is often used in combination with other therapies, such as surgery, radiation, or hormone therapy.
Frequently asked questions
Chemotherapy is often given by intravenous (IV) injection, meaning that a needle is inserted directly into a vein. The medication can also be injected into a muscle (intramuscular injection) or under the skin (subcutaneous injection).
The bottom line
Chemotherapy drugs are one of several treatment options for cancer. These types of drugs work by destroying rapidly dividing cancer cells.
Definition
- Chemotherapy is a group of medications used to treat cancer and sometimes other conditions. In cancer, chemotherapy—oftentimes simply called "chemo"—works by killing cancer cells. Each type of chemotherapy drug does this a little bit differently, at a different time in the cell's reproductive cycle. Some drugs may affect the genes as the cell is ab...
Conditions Treated
- Chemotherapy is most often used to treat cancer, but chemo drugs may also be used to treat autoimmune diseases, in which the immune system is overactive and attacks healthy cells by mistake, including:2 1. Lupus 2. Addison's disease 3. Multiple sclerosis 4. Grave's disease 5. Rheumatoid arthritis
Who Administers Chemo
- If your chemo is used to treat cancer, your oncologist, a doctor specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, will oversee your treatment. If chemo is used to treat other conditions, it will be administered by doctors who specialize in treating those conditions. For example, for lupus, it will be a rheumatologist.3
Types
- There are hundreds of types of chemotherapy, and your doctor will choose one or more based on the type, location, and stage of your cancer or other disease. Chemotherapy comes in a variety of forms that can be given:4 1. Orally 2. Intravenously (IV, through a vein) 3. Topically (on the skin) 4. Injected as a single shot Most chemotherapies are given systemically—meaning they impact th…
Process
- For chemotherapy given intravenously, the type and duration of your therapy and how you will receive your medication will be set when you are ready to start treatment. In the past, chemotherapy was administered in an inpatient setting, but now most therapies take place as outpatient treatments in special offices or facilities. In most cases, a nurse or infusion specialis…
How to Prepare
- Before you start chemotherapy, one of the first things you and your medical team will discuss is how you will get your chemotherapy medication. If it's oral, topical, or by way of injections, the medications can be taken fairly simply. If your chemotherapy is intravenous, you will need to visit a facility for regular infusions. When chemotherapy is given through a vein, it may be more conv…
Side Effects
- Not everyone experiences side effects from chemotherapy, and how severe the side effects are can vary from one person to the next. Even if you do have side effects, your medical team will likely prescribe additional medications to help you manage them. Since chemotherapy medications target cells in their reproductive phase, other healthy cells that undergo rapid repro…
Outcomes and Recovery
- There is no definitive prognosis for any type of cancer—with or without chemotherapy. Your prognosis depends on several factors:10 1. Type of cancer 2. Location of the cancer 3. The stage of your cancer when it's detected 4. The grade of the cancer 5. Traits of your specific cancer cells 6. Age 7. Overall health at the time of diagnosis 8. Response to treatment A medication or treat…
Summary
- Chemotherapy is a group of medications used to treat cancer and sometimes other conditions. They kill cancer cells by disrupting their reproductive cycle and stopping them from multiplying. Chemo drugs can be administered intravenously into your bloodstream, taken orally, applied topically, or injected as a shot. They are effective at treating cancer, but can affect healthy cells i…
A Word from Verywell
- Cancer is a scary diagnosis, and chemotherapy isn't easy. While chemo doesn't work for everyone, it's a tried-and-true therapy that works well for many types of cancers. Your doctors can help guide you through the process, help relieve side effects, and offer you support along your journey. It's important to embrace your support system—including people who are receiving infusions alongs…
Overview
Why It's Done
Risks
- Side effects of chemotherapy drugs can be significant. Each drug has different side effects, and not every drug causes every side effect. Ask your doctor about the side effects of the particular drugs you'll receive.
How You Prepare
- How you prepare for chemotherapy depends on which drugs you'll receive and how they'll be administered. Your doctor will give you specific instructions to prepare for your chemotherapy treatments. You may need to: 1. Have a device surgically inserted before intravenous chemotherapy.If you'll be receiving your chemotherapy intravenously — into a vein — your docto…
What You Can Expect
- Determining which chemotherapy drugs you'll receive
Your doctor chooses which chemotherapy drugs you'll receive based on several factors, including: 1. Type of cancer 2. Stage of cancer 3. Overall health 4. Previous cancer treatments 5. Your goals and preferences Discuss your treatment options with your doctor. Together you can decide what… - How chemotherapy drugs are given
Chemotherapy drugs can be given in different ways, including: 1. Chemotherapy infusions.Chemotherapy is most often given as an infusion into a vein (intravenously). The drugs can be given by inserting a tube with a needle into a vein in your arm or into a device in a vein in …
Results
- You'll meet with your cancer doctor (oncologist) regularly during chemotherapy treatment. Your oncologist will ask about any side effects you're experiencing, since many can be controlled. Depending on your situation, you may also undergo scans and other tests to monitor your cancer during chemotherapy treatment. These tests can give your doctor an idea of how your cancer is …
Clinical Trials
- Explore Mayo Clinic studiesof tests and procedures to help prevent, detect, treat or manage conditions.