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

Exercise helps mitigate cancer treatment side effects

Exercise can counter the detrimental effects of cancer treatment, such as heart and nerve damage and brain fog, suggests an overarching review of the existing pooled data analyses of the most recent research, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

29 Apr 2025

HonorHealth unveils first study from new Phoenix lab targeting pancreatic cancer

HonorHealth Research Institute's new downtown Phoenix laboratory has produced its first study, centered on a promising new treatment for pancreatic cancer, one of the most aggressive and difficult to treat of all malignancies.

29 Apr 2025

Cancer-related fatigue and depression found to limit recreational activities in survivors

Cancer survivors who reported feeling cancer-related fatigue or depression reduced their recreational activities nearly twofold, with females more likely than males to report feeling either cancer-related fatigue or depression, according to a retrospective study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2025, held April 25-30.

29 Apr 2025

Intimate relationships may shield against cognitive decline during chemo

A satisfying intimate relationship may help diminish chemotherapy-related cognitive problems experienced by patients with breast cancer, a new study suggests.

29 Apr 2025

‘Game-changer’ clinical trial launches for Australia’s second-deadliest cancer

A world-first clinical trial launched in Melbourne is being hailed a ‘game-changer’ for its potential to revolutionize the way people with bowel cancer are treated.

29 Apr 2025

Routine molecular monitoring doubles survival in high-risk AML subtypes

A highly sensitive bone marrow test could double survival rates for some groups of younger adults with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) by helping doctors identify if they might relapse up to three months earlier.

29 Apr 2025

Predictive model could improve treatment decisions for advanced pancreatic cancer patients

Researchers in Japan have developed a predictive model that could improve treatment decisions for advanced pancreatic cancer patients.

28 Apr 2025

Pre and post-surgical immunotherapy improves survival in head and neck cancer patients

Patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer who received the immune checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab before, during and after standard-of-care surgery had longer event-free survival without the cancer coming back and higher rates of substantial tumor shrinkage prior to surgery, according to the first interim analysis of a randomized, open-label phase 3 clinical trial led by investigators from Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

27 Apr 2025

Dana-Farber experts present innovative cancer studies at the 2025 AACR Annual Meeting

Numerous studies conducted by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute report progress for cancers including head and neck cancer, metastatic breast cancer and lung cancer.

27 Apr 2025

MD Anderson researchers present promising clinical trial results at AACR 2025

Researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center will present promising results from clinical trials in three minisymposia abstracts at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2025.

26 Apr 2025

Distinct subtypes of senescent skin cells identified

Senescent skin cells, often referred to as zombie cells because they have outlived their usefulness without ever quite dying, have existed in the human body as a seeming paradox, causing inflammation and promoting diseases while also helping the immune system to heal wounds.

26 Apr 2025

Gene therapy offers hope for children born with metachromatic leukodystrophy

If administered early, gene therapy has the potential to change the medical history of children born with metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), a rare and lethal neurodegenerative disease of genetic origin which leads to the progressive loss of the ability to walk, talk and interact.

25 Apr 2025

Four specific gene mutations linked to development and progression of lethal stomach cancers

Researchers using next-generation DNA sequencing have identified four specific genes whose mutations are linked to the development and progression of lethal stomach cancers.

25 Apr 2025

lncRNAs shape the tumor microenvironment and drive cancer development

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a complex and dynamic network consisting of tumor cells, immune cells, stromal cells, extracellular matrix (ECM), cytokines, and growth factors, all interacting to influence tumorigenesis, progression, and metastasis.

24 Apr 2025

Surgery may not be necessary for some early-stage breast cancer patients

Surgery may not be the best next course of treatment for patients with early-stage breast cancer who had a complete response to neoadjuvant (pre-surgical) chemotherapy and standard radiation treatment, according to new data from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

24 Apr 2025