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Chemotherapy Principles
The thought of having chemotherapy frightens many people. Almost everyone has heard stories about someone who was "on chemo." But we believe that knowing what chemotherapy is, how it works, and what to expect can often help calm your fears and give you more of a sense of control.
What Is Chemotherapy?
Knowing what chemotherapy is, how it works, and what to expect can often help calm your fears and give you more of a sense of control...
How Does Chemotherapy Work?
To understand how chemotherapy works as a treatment, it is helpful to understand the normal life cycle of a cell in the body...
What Are the Goals of Treatment With Chemotherapy?
There are three main goals for chemotherapy treatment: Cure, control, and palliation...
What Are the Different Types of Chemotherapy Drugs?
Chemotherapy drugs are divided into several categories based on how they affect specific chemical substances within cancer cells...
Selecting Which Drugs to Use for Chemotherapy Treatments
Factors to consider in choosing which drugs to use for each patient's chemotherapy treatment or regimen...
Planning Drug Doses and Schedules
Some drugs, especially those available to people without a prescription have a relatively wide therapeutic index...
Where Are Chemotherapy Treatments Given?
In addition to considering what is most convenient to you, it is important to consider how the drugs are to be given...
What Are the Different Ways To Take Chemotherapy?
Drugs used in chemotherapy regimens can be given in many ways...
Safety Precautions for Healthcare Professionals
Chemotherapy drugs are considered hazardous, so the nurses and doctors who give chemotherapy will take precautions to avoid direct contact with the drugs while administering them...
What Are the Side Effects of Chemotherapy?
Side effects are different for each chemotherapy drug, and they also differ based on the dosage, the route the drug is given, and how the drug affects you individually...
What Questions Should I Ask About Chemotherapy?
You may want to ask your doctor or nurses the following questions about your treatment plan for chemotherapy...
What's New in Chemotherapy Research?
New drugs, new combinations of chemotherapy drugs, and new delivery techniques hold significant promise for curing or controlling cancer and improving the quality of life of people with cancer...
Additional Resources
References
Also in this area
Blood Product Donation and Transfusion  
Chemotherapy Principles  
Radiation Therapy Principles  
Related Tools & Topics
Learn About Cancer  
Treatment Topics and Resources  
Building a Support Network  
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