What is chemotherapy?

What is chemotherapy?

• A. The use of hormones to treat cancer
• B. The use of chemicals as a systemic therapy for cancer
• C. Localized radiation therapy
• D. Surgery to remove tumors

Answer: (B)

Chemotherapy means using chemicals that travel through the bloodstream to reach and kill cancer cells all around the body. This systemic approach is what lets it treat cancers that have spread or could spread beyond the original site, and it’s often used before surgery to shrink tumors or after to help prevent recurrence. It’s different from localized treatments: radiation targets a specific area, and surgery removes tumors directly. Hormonal therapies use hormones or hormone-blocking agents, not broad-acting cytotoxic chemicals. So chemotherapy is the systemic use of chemical agents to treat cancer.

Chemotherapy means using chemicals that travel through the bloodstream to reach and kill cancer cells all around the body. This systemic approach is what lets it treat cancers that have spread or could spread beyond the original site, and it’s often used before surgery to shrink tumors or after to help prevent recurrence. It’s different from localized treatments: radiation targets a specific area, and surgery removes tumors directly. Hormonal therapies use hormones or hormone-blocking agents, not broad-acting cytotoxic chemicals. So chemotherapy is the systemic use of chemical agents to treat cancer.