2Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is distinct from radiation therapy in that it uses drugs to destroy cancerous cells and, since these drugs have widespread activity in the body, it prevents the spread of cancer to other regions of the body. These cytotoxic anti-neoplastic drugs, taken orally or intravenously, work by destroying rapidly dividing cells in the body (cancer cells are rapidly dividing cells themselves). Some cells in the body normally divide rapidly, for example, cells of the hair follicles and gastrointestinal tract. The chemotherapeutic drugs also destroy these cells, and this is a major cause of some of the side effects associated with chemotherapy treatment.
Most times, chemotherapy is offered in combination with other treatment options, for example, surgery or radiation. This is because different types of cancers require slightly different combat approach depending on the exact nature of the genetic mutation. So, approaching treatment in different directions often gives a better chance of survival. Your physician might choose chemotherapy over other treatment options if there is an available drug to treat the type of cancer. Chemotherapy works at the level of cell division, inhibiting it. [3]
