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

Florida breast cancer foundation funds two UCF projects to combat breast cancer

As Breast Cancer Awareness Month begins, two College of Medicine cancer researchers have received statewide grants to support their innovative projects to fight a disease that strikes one in eight American women.

3 Oct 2024

The impact of KRAS mutations on pancreatic cancer progression and survival

A common mutation in the KRAS gene is associated with improved overall survival in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) compared with other variants, in part because the mutation appears to lead to less invasiveness and weaker biological activity, according to a multicenter study conducted at Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and other institutions.

3 Oct 2024

Dronabinol shows promise in reducing agitation in Alzheimer's patients

In a study led by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Tufts University School of Medicine, researchers show that a pill form of the drug dronabinol, an FDA-approved synthetic version of marijuana's main ingredient, THC, reduces agitation in patients with Alzheimer's by an average of 30%.

2 Oct 2024

Brazil achieves milestone in eliminating lymphatic filariasis

The World Health Organization (WHO) congratulates Brazil for having eliminated lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem.

1 Oct 2024

Future directions and challenges in harnessing NK cells against Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) remains one of the most challenging hematological malignancies to treat, with relapse and refractory cases continuing to pose significant hurdles

1 Oct 2024

Umbilical cord blood transplants improve cancer survival rates across all races

Patients who receive umbilical cord blood transplants for blood cancers now live equally long regardless of their race, new research from UVA Cancer Center shows.

1 Oct 2024

Traditional Chinese medicine shows potential in cancer treatment

Cancer, a pervasive global health concern, remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Current cancer treatment modalities encompass surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy, all of which have significantly contributed to improving patient survival.

1 Oct 2024

Discovery of cyclotide from violets enhances glioblastoma chemotherapy

Glioblastoma is one of the most serious brain diseases known. More than 45% of brain cancers are gliomas.

30 Sep 2024

Immunotherapy timing key to survival in small cell lung cancer treatment

People with limited-stage small cell lung cancer may benefit from adding immunotherapy to chemoradiation, but not if both treatments are given at the same time, new research finds.

30 Sep 2024

Shortened radiation therapy proves safe for breast reconstruction after mastectomy

An accelerated course of radiation therapy does not increase complications for patients who undergo breast reconstruction following a mastectomy, new research shows.

30 Sep 2024

Standard chemoradiation outperforms de-intensified treatments in HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer

Researchers looking to de-intensify radiation treatments for people with early-stage, HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancer to prevent long-term side effects halted a large, randomized phase II/III trial after patients in the control arm reached a record high, two-year progression-free survival rate of 98%.

30 Sep 2024

UCLA Health researchers showcase advances in radiation oncology at ASTRO

UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers and physicians who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies will present data on the latest radiation oncology research and clinical trial results at the 66th annual American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) meeting in Washington D.C., Sept. 29 to Oct. 2.

27 Sep 2024

New insights into serine hydroxymethyltransferase aid cancer drug design

In just two neutron experiments, scientists discovered remarkable details about the function of an enzyme that can aid drug design for aggressive cancers.

26 Sep 2024

Older adults face higher CVD risk post-cancer treatment

Older adults treated for cancer face twice the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases compared to those without cancer. The highest risks are seen in patients with metastatic, hematologic, and lung cancers, especially after chemotherapy.

25 Sep 2024

Women remain underserved in cardiovascular disease treatment despite advances

Women in the UK, and elsewhere, are still missing out on vital treatment for their No 1 killer-;cardiovascular disease-;despite significant progress in the medical management of heart disease and stroke, concludes a consensus statement published online in the journal Heart.

24 Sep 2024

New approach to B-ALL treatment reduces side effects and enhances survival

Clinical trial results from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital demonstrate benefits to using genomics and early treatment response to guide risk classification of children with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL).

24 Sep 2024

PRP intraovarian injection improves the number and quality of blastocysts in mouse models

A new research paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science), Volume 16, Issue 17 on September 13, 2024, entitled, "Intraovarian PRP injection improves oocyte quality and early embryo development in mouse models of chemotherapy-induced diminished ovarian reserve."

24 Sep 2024

Innovative HiTIP-seq method advances epigenetic research in pediatric brain tumors

Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is a highly aggressive and fatal pediatric high-grade glioma that primarily affects critical regions of the central nervous system, such as the pons, thalamus, and spinal cord.

24 Sep 2024

Neuroactive drugs show promising anti-glioblastoma effects in preclinical trials

Study explores the potential to repurpose neuroactive drugs, originally approved for neurological disorders, for the treatment of glioblastoma. Vortioxetine, an antidepressant, showed promising anti-glioblastoma activity, significantly reducing tumor size in preclinical trials.

24 Sep 2024