Chemotherapy Chemotherapy is the use of drugs carried through the bloodstream in an effort to kill cancer cells. Throughout the course of treatment, a patient may receive one drug or several drugs in combination. Hormone treatments may also be used with certain types of cancer to help control or reverse the growth of cancer cells. The main focus of a treatment plan is to destroy the maximum number of cancer cells. Most of the treatments work by damaging the cells' ability to divide, and some of the drugs kill cells in specific phases of their cycle.
Chemotherapy drugs are very precise.
They are highly specific to the type of cancer being treated and to the individual receiving care. Some drugs may be in tablet form and can be taken orally. Other drugs are injected into the tissues, much like immunizations. Radiation therapy may also be used to relieve some symptoms of cancer, such as pain, headache or bleeding. Radiation therapy utilizes x-rays generated from machines called linear accelerators to create chemical changes within the tumor cells.