Chemotherapy

FAQs & Patient Stories

Chemotherapy or chemo is one of the most common types of cancer treatments that uses drugs to destroy cancer cells.

Below, find answers to popular chemotherapy questions and experiences of chemotherapy shared by The Patient Story community.

General Chemotherapy FAQ

How does chemotherapy work?

Chemotherapy or chemo is used to stop or slow down growth of cancer cells. It can cure or treat cancer, control cancer, and/or help ease the symptoms of cancer (palliative care).

Cure or treat cancer: This is when chemotherapy is able to destroy cancer cells to the point where your medical team cannot see or detect them in your body, and they do not grow back.
Control cancer: This is when chemotherapy is able to stop the spread of cancer, slows cancer cell growth, or destroy cancer cells in the spread to other parts of your body (metastasis).
Easing symptoms (palliative care): This is when chemotherapy is able to shrink down tumors that cause pressure, discomfort, and pain.

Who should get chemotherapy?

This depends case by case. Chemotherapy can be given alone, but many times it is used alongside other cancer treatments and therapies based on the cancer type and behavior.

How does chemo work alongside other therapies and treatments?

Used as a part of a treatment plan, chemo can act in multiple ways:

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy: Shrinks tumors before radiation therapy or surgery.
Adjuvant chemotherapy: Destroys cancer cells that may linger even after other treatment, like radiation therapy or surgery.
Chemo can make other treatments more effective.
Chemo can destroy cancer cells that have spread to other parts of your body (metastasis) or that have returned (refractory and relapsed cases of cancer).

Chemotherapy side effects

Chemotherapy works by using drugs to kill rapidly-growing cancer cells. That means it also kills or slows the growth of healthy fast-growing cells, like those in your intestines, scalp, and mouth lining.

This leads to many side effects, which usually lessen and disappear after you’ve finished chemotherapy.

For more on various side effects with different cancers, check out these cancer treatment side effect stories from our community.

Here’s a list of the most common (but not all) side effects:

Anemia
Appetite loss
Bleeding and bruising (Thrombocytopenia)
Constipation
Delirium
Diarrhea
Edema (Swelling)
Fatigue
Fertility issues
Flu-like symptoms
Hair loss (Alopecia)
Infection and neutropenia

Lymphedema
Memory, concentration problems (“Chemo Brain/Fog”)
Mouth and throat problems
Mucositis (mouth sores)
Nausea, vomiting
Nerve problems (peripheral neuropathy)
Immunotherapy and organ-related inflammation
Pain
Sexual health issues
Skin and nail changes
Sleep problems, insomnia
Urinary and bladder problems

Chemotherapy Stories and Experiences

Here are different experiences with chemotherapies and chemotherapy regimens, as told by our TPS community members.

ABVD

Get all the information about the ABVD chemotherapy regimen, used to treat Hodgkin lymphoma.

ABVD patient stories

July 3, 2020

Madi’s Stage 1B Nodular Sclerosis Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Story

→ Read more

Adriamycin (doxorubicin)

Adriamycin, also known for the generic name doxorubicin, is a chemotherapy drug used for treating a variety of cancers. It is sometimes known as the “Red Devil” because of its bright red color and typically more harsh side effects.

Click here to go to our Adriamycin (doxorubicin) page

Cancers commonly treated: