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 Types

Chemotherapy Principles

Does Scalp Cooling Prevent Hair Loss During Chemotherapy?

How Chemotherapy Affects Daily Living

What is 'Chemo Brain'?

Chemotherapy Treatment Schemes

Latest Chemotherapy News and Research

Gene-edited treatment shows promising outcomes for severe sickle cell disease

New results from a clinical trial show promising outcomes for a gene-edited treatment for severe sickle cell disease, a genetic blood disorder with few curative options.

1 Apr 2026

Targeted therapy pralsetinib improves outcomes in RET fusion-positive NSCLCs

In some non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs), changes to the RET gene (known as RET fusions) can drive tumor growth.

1 Apr 2026

Popular vitamin B3 supplements could weaken cancer therapy effectiveness

Millions of Americans take daily supplements-nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide (NAM)-to boost energy, slow aging and protect the heart and brain.

1 Apr 2026

"Smart" system distinguishes and neutralizes cancer cells with unprecedented precision

A team from UNIGE has designed a molecular system that distinguishes and neutralizes cancer cells with unprecedented precision, paving the way for autonomous, self-regulating drugs.

1 Apr 2026

Machine learning helps predict risks during stem cell therapy for myeloma

Multiple myeloma is a cancer in which plasma cells, which normally produce antibodies, multiply uncontrollably in the bone marrow.

31 Mar 2026

Lipid nanoparticles help CAR T cells melt pancreatic cancer barriers

Often diagnosed when surgery is no longer an option, pancreatic cancer is one of the most difficult cancers to treat and has one of the lowest rates of survival among major malignancies.

31 Mar 2026

Genomic study advances prioritization of variants in cancer diagnostics

Hiroshima University researchers have developed a practical framework to identify candidate pathogenic variants hidden among the large number of variants of uncertain significance (VUS) detected in comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) of cancers.

31 Mar 2026

Study reveals CAR T approach for hard-to-treat solid tumors

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy - CAR T for short - has been a major advance in treating blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma.

30 Mar 2026

PSMA therapy may postpone hormone treatment in prostate cancer patients

Where previous research showed that PSMA therapy for prostate cancer can prolong the lives of patients who have exhausted all other treatment options, a new study now demonstrates that the therapy is also effective in an earlier stage of the disease.

30 Mar 2026

New urine test shows which UTI antibiotic works in under six hours

Researchers have developed a rapid direct-from-urine test that identifies which first-line antibiotic is likely to work for a urinary tract infection in an average of 5.85 hours, instead of the usual two to three days. In studies of 352 routine urine samples and 90 duplicate preservative-tested samples, the method showed high agreement with standard testing, suggesting it could speed treatment and support efforts to curb antimicrobial resistance.

30 Mar 2026

FDA approves first gene therapy for rare pediatric immune disorder

Dr. Donald Kohn has been developing gene therapies for rare pediatric immune disorders for over 30 years.

27 Mar 2026

Advanced endoscopic technique successfully treats early-stage colorectal cancer

In the months before his wedding, Queens resident Roberto Pineda Sanchez noticed persistent rectal bleeding, a dangerous symptom he almost ignored.

27 Mar 2026

Study explores racial differences in gastric cancer immunotherapy outcomes

Advanced gastric cancer remains one of the deadliest malignancies, with a 5-year overall survival rate below 10%.

26 Mar 2026

Circulating tumor DNA predicts breast cancer relapse after treatment

Fragments of tumor DNA circulating in the bloodstream of patients with breast cancer can predict whether they are likely to relapse, especially when samples are taken after the patients have received treatments prior to surgery.

26 Mar 2026

Copper-based agent complex kills cancer cells in a novel way

A copper-based agent complex kills cancer cells in a novel way. It receives its activation signal through light. It could help where existing chemotherapy treatments reach their limits.

26 Mar 2026

Immunotherapy plus chemotherapy improves outcomes in stage III dMMR colon cancer

A new study from researchers at the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology (Alliance) shows that patients with stage III colon cancer with deficient deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) mismatch repair (dMMR) had significantly better outcomes when the immunotherapy drug atezolizumab (Tecentriq®) was added to standard chemotherapy after surgery.

25 Mar 2026

Breast cancer patients may avoid lymphedema with radiotherapy approach

Patients with breast cancer may be able to avoid lymphedema, which can occur after surgery to remove lymph nodes in the armpit (the axilla), by having radiotherapy instead.

25 Mar 2026

Breast cancer cells exploit the lung's repair system to support tumor growth

Researchers at the CU Anschutz Cancer Center have discovered how breast cancer cells that spread to the lungs may take advantage of the body's natural healing response and how a commonly used drug might slow that process.

25 Mar 2026

Early blood test could guide personalized lymphoma treatment decisions

Many people with an aggressive blood cancer called diffuse large B cell lymphoma are cured by the current gold standard of treatment: an antibody designed to wipe out cancerous B cells plus a combination of four chemotherapy drugs.

25 Mar 2026

Blood pressure drug boosts effectiveness of cancer therapy

In a new Dartmouth Cancer Center (DCC) study led by clinical researcher Tyler J. Curiel, MD, MPH, FACP, investigators found that the FDA-approved blood pressure drug telmisartan can significantly enhance the cancer-killing activity of the targeted therapy olaparib, potentially expanding its use to many more patients.

25 Mar 2026