By: Nicholas

Chemotherapy is the use of toxic chemicals to kill to cancer cells. It works in many ways.

Chemotherapy main goal is too kill cancer cells

To stop them from spreading so it does not come back

Make symptoms better

In 1940 and it was discovered by Paul Ehrlich

Discovered during World War II

It was accidently discovered

-when people were exposed to mustard gas

There are more than 300 drugs used in chemotherapy

All drugs fall into four categories

1. Antimetabolites

2. Alkylating agents

3. Topoisomerase inhibitors

4. Anthracyclines

Make the tumor smaller

Kill cancer cells

Help when using other drugs like radiation

Kill cancer cells that have come back

Kill cancer cells that have spread

A tumor is a layer of tissue within the human body

The chemical agents they use kills the cancer cells

Tumors get smaller making surgery easier

Gets rid of pain by making the tumor smaller

Helps people enjoy life longer

It also kills normal cells

Anemia Loss of appetite Hair loss Mouth sores Vomiting

Nausea Infection Fatigue Diarrhea

How long the negative side effects last depends on the type of chemotherapy and how your health is.

Anxious

Depressed

Afraid

Angry

Frustrated

Helpless

Lonely

People can join support groups to help.

Adjuvant-Given to improve survival when cancer is no longer evident

Primary-Use of chemotherapy drugs as the main treatment

Induction-Initiation of chemotherapy with plans of further treatment

Combination-The use of two or more chemotherapy drugs

Injection-Through muscle in your arm ,thigh , hip, fat part of your arm, leg or belly

Intra-arterial-Directly into the artery that is feeding the cancer

Intraperitoneal-Directly into the peritoneal cavity

Intravenous-Directly into the vain

Topical-in a cream that you rub on to your skin

Oral-comes in a pill, capsule, or liquid

Peritoneal cavity is the area that contains organs such as intestines, stomach and liver

You do not need to stay at a hospital, chemotherapy is given at the doctors office, in a clinic, at home or as an outpatient at the hospital.

Cancer treatment is getting better all the time because scientist are always trying to come up with ways to beat it

Many people with cancer go into recovery

There are now over 300 types of drugs to treat cancer

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/chemotherapy/CA00029.html

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=21716

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/158401.php

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/chemotherapy.aspx

Chemotherapy and you –national cancer institute