Chemotherapy works by stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells, which grow and divide quickly. But it can also harm healthy cells that divide quickly, such as those that line your mouth and intestines or cause your hair to grow. Damage to healthy cells may cause side effects. Often, side effects get better or go away after chemotherapy is over.

Depending on your type of cancer and how advanced it is, chemotherapy can:

• Cure cancer– when chemotherapy destroys cancer cells to the point that your doctor can no longer detect them in your body and they will not grow back.
• Control cancer– when chemotherapy keeps cancer from spreading, slows its growth, or destroys cancer cells that have spread to other parts of your body.
• Ease cancer symptoms(also called palliative care) – when chemotherapy shrinks tumors that are causing pain or pressure.

Sometimes, chemotherapy is used as the only cancer treatment. But more often, you will get chemotherapy along with surgery, radiation therapy, or >biological therapy. Chemotherapy can:

• Make a tumor smaller before surgery or radiation therapy. This is called neo-adjuvant chemotherapy.
• Destroy cancer cells that may remain after surgery or radiation therapy. This is called >adjuvant chemotherapy.
• Help radiation therapy and biological therapy work better.
• Destroy cancer cells that have come back (>recurrent cancer) or spread to other parts of your body (>metastatic cancer).

This choice depends on:

• The type of cancer you have. Some types of chemotherapy drugs are used for many types of cancer. Other drugs are used for just one or two types of cancer.
• Whether you have had chemotherapy before
• Whether you have other health problems, such as diabetes or heart disease

You may receive chemotherapy during a hospital stay, at home, or in a doctor’s office, clinic, or >outpatient unit in a hospital (which means you do not have to stay overnight). No matter where you go for chemotherapy, your doctor and nurse will watch for side effects and make any needed drug changes.

Treatment schedules for chemotherapy vary widely. How often and how long you get chemotherapy depends on:

• Your type of cancer and how advanced it is
• The goals of treatment (whether chemotherapy is used to cure your cancer, control its growth, or ease the symptoms)
• The type of chemotherapy
• How your body reacts to chemotherapy

You may receive chemotherapy in cycles. A cycle is a period of chemotherapy treatment followed by a period of rest. For instance, you might receive 1 week of chemotherapy followed by 3 weeks of rest. These 4 weeks make up one cycle. The rest period gives your body a chance to build new healthy cells.

It is not good to skip a chemotherapy treatment. But sometimes your doctor or nurse may change your chemotherapy schedule. This can be due to side effects you are having. If this happens, your doctor or nurse will explain what to do and when to start treatment again.

Chemotherapy may be given in many ways.

• Injection. The chemotherapy is given by a shot in a muscle in your arm, thigh, or hip or right under the skin in the fatty part of your arm, leg, or belly.
• Intra-arterial (IA). The chemotherapy goes directly into the artery that is feeding the cancer.
• Intraperitoneal (IP). The chemotherapy goes directly into the >peritoneal cavity (the area that contains organs such as your intestines, stomach, liver, and ovaries).
• Intravenous (IV). The chemotherapy goes directly into a vein.
• Topically. The chemotherapy comes in a cream that you rub onto your skin.
• Orally. The chemotherapy comes in pills, capsules, or liquids that you swallow.

Chemotherapy affects people in different ways. How you feel depends on how healthy you are before treatment, your type of cancer, how advanced it is, the kind of chemotherapy you are getting, and the dose. Doctors and nurses cannot know for certain how you will feel during chemotherapy.Some people do not feel well right after chemotherapy. The most common side effect is >fatigue, feeling exhausted and worn out. You can prepare for fatigue by:

• Asking someone to drive you to and from chemotherapy
• Planning time to rest on the day of and day after chemotherapy
• Getting help with meals and childcare the day of and at least 1 day after chemotherapy

There are many ways you can help manage chemotherapy side effects.

Many people can work during chemotherapy, as long as they match their schedule to how they feel. Whether or not you can work may depend on what kind of work you do. If your job allows, you may want to see if you can work part-time or work from home on days you do not feel well. Many employers are required by law to change your work schedule to meet your needs during cancer treatment. Talk with your employer about ways to adjust your work during chemotherapy. You can learn more about these laws by talking with a social worker.

This depends on the type of chemotherapy you get and the other types of drugs you plan to take. Take only drugs that are approved by your doctor or nurse. Tell your doctor or nurse about all the over-the-counter and prescription drugs you take, including laxatives, allergy medicines, cold medicines, pain relievers, aspirin, and ibuprofen.One way to let your doctor or nurse know about these drugs is by bringing in all your pill bottles. Your doctor or nurse needs to know:

• The name of each drug
• The reason you take it
• How much you take
• How often you take it

Your doctor will give you physical exams and medical tests (such as blood tests and x-rays). He or she will also ask you how you feel.You cannot tell if chemotherapy is working based on its side effects. Some people think that severe side effects mean that chemotherapy is working well. Or that no side effects mean that chemotherapy is not working. The truth is that side effects have nothing to do with how well chemotherapy is fighting your cancer.

Talk to your doctor or nurse before you take any over-the-counter or prescription drugs, vitamins, minerals, dietary supplements, or herbs.

Some of these products can change how chemotherapy works. For this reason, it is important to tell your doctor or nurse about all the vitamins, minerals, dietary supplements, and herbs that you take before you start chemotherapy. During chemotherapy, talk with your doctor before you take any of these products.