Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy, in its most general sense, is the treatment of disease by chemicals especially by killing micro-organisms or cancerous cells. In popular usage, it refers to antineoplastic drugs used to treat cancer or the combination of these drugs into a cytotoxic standardized treatment regimen.

What is Chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy literally refers to the treatment of certain diseases using specific chemicals that are destructive to malignant cells or to the causative agent of a disease such as a bacteria or virus. Therefore, the treatment can be broadly divided into two categories - cancer chemotherapy and antimicrobial chemotherapy.

History of Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy Principles

Chemotherapy Treatment Schemes

Chemotherapy Types

What is 'Chemo Brain'?

Does Scalp Cooling Prevent Hair Loss During Chemotherapy?

How Chemotherapy Affects Daily Living

Latest Chemotherapy News and Research

BRCA mutations sharply increase risk of implant-associated lymphoma

Women with breast cancer who were also carriers of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation and received textured breast implants as part of their reconstructive surgery after mastectomy were 16 times more likely to develop breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), a rare T-cell lymphoma, compared with similar women without these genetic mutations, according to a study published today in Blood Advances.

14 Jun 2025

Advancing precision oncology in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

ICCA accounts for 10–15% of primary liver cancers and is notorious for late-stage diagnosis and resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

13 Jun 2025

Rare ovarian tumor found during postmenopausal surgery for pelvic organ prolapse

A new case report was published in Volume 12 of Oncoscience on May 22, 2025, titled "A rare case: Pure Sertoli cell tumor uncovered in atrophic ovary during postmenopausal vault prolapse evaluation."

13 Jun 2025

New drug combination shows high remission rates in acute myeloid leukemia

A combination therapy that adds a recently approved drug to the current standard of care for newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) showed high rates of complete remission in an early-phase clinical trial conducted at UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and 11 other sites nationwide.

13 Jun 2025

Low-dose vitamin D supplements can increase effectiveness of chemotherapy in breast cancer patients

A study conducted at the Botucatu School of Medicine at São Paulo State University (FMB-UNESP) in Brazil has shown that low-dose vitamin D supplementation can increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatment in women with breast cancer.

13 Jun 2025

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': RFK Jr. upends vaccine policy, after promising he wouldn’t

After explicitly promising senators during his confirmation hearing that he would not interfere in scientific policy over which Americans should receive which vaccines, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. this week fired every member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the group of experts who help the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention make those evidence-based judgments.

12 Jun 2025

Cholesterol shields cancer cells from heat treatment in hyperthermia therapy

Hyperthermia, a cancer treatment using controlled heat to kill tumor cells, shows promise but faces limitations due to some tumor cells' unexpected heat resistance.

12 Jun 2025

Gut microbes offer clues for early detection of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is a severe illness and major challenge in cancer medicine since it is difficult to diagnose, while potential therapies are scarce.

12 Jun 2025

Predicting deep vein thrombosis in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer using a nomogram

Nomograms have a strong reputation as reliable predictive models that simplify statistical prediction models and guide personalized treatment to formulate preventive measures for various diseases.

11 Jun 2025

New cancer vaccine shows promise against deadly pancreatic tumors

Pancreatic cancer has a five-year survival rate of just 13%, making it the deadliest cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.

11 Jun 2025

Novel self-propelled ferroptosis nanoinducer achieves deeper penetration into tumor tissues

A novel self-propelled ferroptosis nanoinducer developed by Southern Medical University was able to achieve deeper penetration into tumor tissues to show enhanced anti-cancer effects, while remaining considerable biocompatibility.

10 Jun 2025

Study reveals the genetic underpinnings of a rare and aggressive ovarian cancer

A new study explains the genetic underpinnings of a rare and aggressive form of ovarian cancer – and offers a potential pathway for new treatments.

9 Jun 2025

Nearly half of breast cancer patients continue hormone therapy beyond five years

As recommendations suggest extending hormone-based breast cancer treatment to 10 years for some patients, a new study sheds light on whether patients are opting for it.

9 Jun 2025

Glioblastoma patients live longer with triple treatment strategy

A new study led by Keck Medicine of USC researchers may have uncovered an effective combination therapy for glioblastoma, a brain tumor diagnosis with few available effective treatments.

9 Jun 2025

Structured exercise strengthens immune response in cancer treatment

Exercising during chemotherapy and before surgery may help the body send more immune cells into cancerous tumors, according to a first-of-its-kind pilot study from the University of Surrey and Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust.

9 Jun 2025

AI model detects brain tumors with high precision using epigenetic fingerprints

The MRI image shows a brain tumor in an inauspicious location, – and a brain biopsy will entail high risks for the patient, who had consulted us due to double vision.

6 Jun 2025

Biweekly chemotherapy dosing reduces toxicity in colorectal cancer patients

Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who were treated with a biweekly dose of trifluridine-tipiracil (TAS-102) saw similar treatment effectiveness and reduced toxicity compared with treatment using standard dosing schedules, according to a recent study in The Oncologist that was co-authored by a Fox Chase Cancer Center physician.

6 Jun 2025

Genetic mutation identified as key factor in immunotherapy resistance for melanoma

Tests in 1,225 patients with the most deadly form of skin cancer reveal for the first time a genetic trait among most of those who did not respond to the latest cancer treatments, known as immune checkpoint inhibitors.

5 Jun 2025

Innovative method reveals how titin disruption triggers muscular diseases

A team at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), led by Jorge Alegre-Cebollada, has developed an innovative method, called TEVs-TTN, for studying the specific mechanical functions of proteins through their controlled cleavage, a process that renders the proteins unable to sense and transmit mechanical force.

5 Jun 2025

Study highlights the lasting toll of colorectal cancer on women's sexual health

A new University of British Columbia-led study is shedding light on a long-overlooked consequence of colorectal cancer: the lasting toll it can take on women's sexual health, even years after treatment ends.

4 Jun 2025