Immunotherapy for many types of cancer is in the investigational phase. Colony-stimulating factors and tumor vaccines are examples of other BRMs under study. Top of Page Chemotherapy Chemotherapy involves the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy is used to kill cancer cells directly, or to shrink tumors that cannot be removed by surgery. This type of treatment is also used when cancer cells have metastasized or spread to other areas of the body.
Chemotherapy is a systemic therapy, and is able to affect cancer cells throughout the body.
A course of chemotherapy usually lasts a few days. This is followed by a rest period of a few weeks, which allows your body to recover from any side effects of the treatment. The number of courses you have will depend on the type of cancer you have and how well it is responding to the drugs. Isolated limb perfusion is currently being investigated as a beneficial way to administer chemotherapy to a specific limb only. This technique is used when melanoma occurs only in an arm or leg.