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 Types

Chemotherapy Treatment Schemes

What is 'Chemo Brain'?

How Chemotherapy Affects Daily Living

Does Scalp Cooling Prevent Hair Loss During Chemotherapy?

Latest Chemotherapy News and Research

Niche-targeted therapies offer a fresh approach to regenerative medicine

A healthy bone marrow (BM) produces nearly all types of cells in our blood. Many blood disorders occur when hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in the BM malfunction.

10 Jul 2026

Six-gene signature predicts colorectal cancer recurrence after liver metastases

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center identified a six-gene signature in microscopic colorectal cancer (CRC) liver metastases that may help predict recurrence after treatment.

9 Jul 2026

Yeast food supplement helps immune cells fight cancer more effectively

Researchers from Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and University College Dublin (UCD) have shown for the first time that a food supplement made from yeast helps the body to make stronger immune cells that can fight cancer.

9 Jul 2026

Experimental compound BA-101 overcomes chemotherapy resistance in glioblastoma

Scientists have identified a promising new strategy to tackle one of the biggest obstacles in treating glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive form of brain cancer: resistance to chemotherapy.

9 Jul 2026

Novel strategy can make stem cell transplants safer

Stem cell transplantation (also called bone marrow transplantation) and gene therapy are among the most powerful curative approaches for blood diseases such as sickle cell disease, b-thalassemia, immune deficiencies, and some blood cancers.

8 Jul 2026

Strategic collaboration funds interdisciplinary projects to improve cancer care

Rice University's Synthesis X Center and Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center have awarded $90,000 in seed grants as part of a new strategic collaboration.

8 Jul 2026

HonorHealth offers new drug that doubles pancreatic cancer survival

Under an FDA ruling that expands access to clinical trials, HonorHealth Research Institute is one of the first in the nation to offer a new drug, Daraxonrasib, that based on early data nearly doubles the average survival time of patients with pancreatic cancer.

7 Jul 2026

Study reveals unexpected movement of drug-delivery swimming robots

One day, tiny swimming robots may travel through the human body to deliver drugs. The medication would target only areas of need-chemotherapy drugs for a tumor, for example-avoiding healthy tissue and minimizing side effects.

6 Jul 2026

Targeted therapy shows promise against KRAS-driven metastatic pancreatic cancer

An investigational targeted therapy designed to block one of the most common genetic drivers of pancreatic cancer has shown promising early results when combined with standard first-line chemotherapy, according to research presented today at the ESMO Gastrointestinal Cancers Congress 2026.

3 Jul 2026

New analysis reveals biological features of treatment-resistant aggressive lymphoma

Researchers led by Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt and Goethe University Frankfurt have identified how particularly aggressive forms of lymphoma can be recognized.

3 Jul 2026

Blood test may predict which colorectal cancer patients benefit from chemotherapy

A blood test may help identify which patients with colorectal cancer that has spread to the liver are most likely to benefit from chemotherapy after surgery, according to research presented today at the ESMO Gastrointestinal Cancers Congress 2026.

3 Jul 2026

Targeted therapy doubles progression-free survival in rare bile duct cancer

Results of the ongoing eNRGy trial, a single-arm, multicenter, global phase 2 clinical trial evaluating zenocutuzumab in solid tumors positive for Neuregulin 1 (NRG1) gene fusions, reported manageable side effects and clinically meaningful efficacy – including a near doubling of progression-free survival compared to expectations with standard of care – in previously treated patients with advanced NRG1-positive cholangiocarcinoma.

2 Jul 2026

German study identifies therapeutic Achilles' heel for advanced colorectal cancer

A team led by researchers from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the HI-STEM* Stem Cell Institute has discovered a promising new approach to treating advanced colorectal cancer.

1 Jul 2026

CAR-T cell therapy shows potential to eliminate aggressive glioblastoma

A study led by a researcher based at King's College London and McMaster University in Canada reveals how CAR-T cell therapy, a treatment that engineers a patient's own immune cells to recognize and attack cancer, could be used to treat glioblastoma.

1 Jul 2026

Highly-sensitive blood test detects hidden traces of pancreatic cancer

Northwestern Medicine scientists have demonstrated that a highly sensitive blood test can detect traces of pancreatic cancer missed by standard testing, potentially helping physicians identify patients whose disease is more likely to return even when scans appear reassuring.

30 Jun 2026