Chemotherapy - ONCSOT

Chemotherapy is the use of a drug to treat a disease.

Not all chemotherapy drugs work the same way and there are many different types of chemotherapy. This is a head-to-toe treatment approach which makes it different from surgery and radiation.

Chemotherapy may be given:

Before surgery or radiation to shrink the size of the tumor
With radiation in cases of cervical cancer to help increase the response to treatment
After surgery or radiation to treat any residual cancer cells that remain.

Chemo can be:

Curative – used to treat the cancer with the goal of it never coming back.

Maintenance – used to control the tumor by keeping it from growing or spreading and can be given routinely for extended periods of time, until the tumor response or a new treatment regimen is needed.

Palliative – used in advanced stage cancer with the goal of shrinking the tumor to ease symptoms and improve quality of life.

For more information for Chemotherapy:

https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/treatment-types/surgery/how-surgery-is-used-for-cancer.html