Chemotherapy is an aggressive form of chemical drug therapy meant to destroy rapidly growing cells in the body. It’s usually used to treat cancer, as cancer cells grow and divide faster than other cells. A doctor who specializes in cancer treatment is known as an oncologist. They’ll work with you to come up with your treatment plan.

Chemotherapy is often used in combination with other therapies, such as surgery, radiation, or hormone therapy. This depends on:

• the stage and type of cancer you have
• your overall health
• previous cancer treatments you’ve had
• the location of the cancer cells
• your personal treatment preferences

It’s considered a systemic treatment, which means it affects the entire body.

While chemotherapy has been proven to effectively attack cancer cells, it can cause serious side effects that can severely impact your quality of life. You should weigh these side effects against the risk of not getting treatment when deciding if chemotherapy is right for you.