Hospital of Saint Raphael
1450 Chapel Street
New Haven, Connecticut 06511
(203) 789-3000
Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth
What is chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with drugs that can destroy cancer cells.
These drugs are often called "anticancer drugs." They destroy cancer cells by preventing
them from growing or multiplying. Chemotherapy is used to treat cancer, to control its
spread or growth and to relieve symptoms that the cancer may cause.
"Combination chemotherapy" involves giving a patient two or more anticancer drugs
at one time. Sometimes certain drugs are given to block the effect of your body's hormones
as a way of treating cancer, or biological therapy is used to boost your body's immune system
against cancer. Chemotherapy can be used as the sole method of treating cancer or combined
with radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy is most often given intravenously (through a vein). However, it can
also be given by mouth, injection or topical application.
How often and how long you will receive chemotherapy depends on the kind of cancer
you have, the treatment goals your oncologist has chosen, the drugs that are used and how
well your body responds to them. Treatment sessions can
last from 30 minutes to seven hours. You may receive treatment every day, every week or every
month. Chemotherapy is often given in cycles that include treatment periods alternated with rest
periods to give your body a chance to regain strength.
Back to Previous Page