Other drugs can be swallowed. The doctor will make a judgement as to whether the patient will receive treatment on an outpatient basis or during a stay in the hospital. The goal of chemotherapy may be to effect a cure or it may be palliative. Because chemotherapy drugs travel to every system of the body through the bloodstream, this is called a systemic treatment. This widespread transport of the drug can lead to many different side effects.
Cancer cells divide very rapidly.
Chemotherapy drugs succeed at killing cancer cells because they target rapidly dividing cells. However, there a many types of beneficial cells in the body which also divide rapidly. They can also be negatively affected by chemotherapy. There are medicines and other treatments that can moderate the intensity of these side effects. The occurrence of side effects will vary due to such factors as age, general health, and type and quantity of drug.