Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy, in its most general sense, is the treatment of disease by chemicals especially by killing micro-organisms or cancerous cells. In popular usage, it refers to antineoplastic drugs used to treat cancer or the combination of these drugs into a cytotoxic standardized treatment regimen.

What is Chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy literally refers to the treatment of certain diseases using specific chemicals that are destructive to malignant cells or to the causative agent of a disease such as a bacteria or virus. Therefore, the treatment can be broadly divided into two categories - cancer chemotherapy and antimicrobial chemotherapy.

History of Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy Principles

Chemotherapy Treatment Schemes

Chemotherapy Types

What is 'Chemo Brain'?

Does Scalp Cooling Prevent Hair Loss During Chemotherapy?

How Chemotherapy Affects Daily Living

Latest Chemotherapy News and Research

Global analysis reveals striking disparities in the cost and availability of cancer drugs

A recent analysis reveals striking disparities in the cost and availability of cancer drugs across different regions of the globe, with significant gaps between high- and low-income countries.

19 Nov 2024

Adding high-dose IV vitamin C to chemotherapy can boost survival for pancreatic cancer patients

Results from a randomized phase 2 clinical trial show that adding high-dose, intravenous (IV) vitamin C to chemotherapy doubles the overall survival of patients with late-stage metastatic pancreatic cancer from eight months to 16 months.

19 Nov 2024

How vitamin B3 could be the secret to living longer and protecting your heart

Dietary niacin intake reduces risks of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in US adults, with benefits more pronounced in non-diabetic individuals and linked to NAD metabolism improvements.

18 Nov 2024

Common heart failure drug reduces risk of chemotherapy-induced heart damage in cancer patients

A commonly prescribed medication for heart failure was linked to a lower risk of heart damage, or cardiotoxicity, among high-risk cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment using anthracyclines, according to preliminary late-breaking science presented today at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2024.

18 Nov 2024

Neoantigen DNA vaccines improve survival and immunity in triple-negative breast cancer patients

A new phase 1 trial demonstrates the safety and effectiveness of personalized neoantigen DNA vaccines, showing promising immune responses and improved recurrence-free survival in high-risk triple-negative breast cancer patients.

17 Nov 2024

Vanderbilt receives $3.3 million grant to develop medications for preventing preterm birth

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is receiving $3.3 million over two years through the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health's (ARPA-H) Sprint for Women's Health for its early-stage research efforts to develop medications designed to suppress premature uterine contractions during pregnancy.

15 Nov 2024

New drug strategy reverses resistance to immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer

A new drug strategy that regulates the tumor immune microenvironment may transform a tumor that resists immunotherapy into a susceptible one, according to a study by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and Oregon Health & Science University.

14 Nov 2024

Advances in bladder cancer treatments offer hope for curative care

Recent advances in bladder cancer treatments may offer hope of curative care to more patients, including those with high-risk localized, muscle-invasive disease, according to an editorial published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

14 Nov 2024

New vaccine shows potential in preventing recurrence of triple-negative breast cancer

A small clinical trial shows promising results for patients with triple-negative breast cancer who received an investigational vaccine designed to prevent recurrence of tumors.

14 Nov 2024

Scientists discover key genetic factors behind testicular cancer

Scientists have identified new gene faults and evolutionary patterns contributing to testicular cancer. Their findings offer profound insights into the development of the disease and into potential treatment strategies.

14 Nov 2024

CAR T cell therapy breakthroughs bring new hope for treating solid tumors

Researchers advance CAR T cell therapy for solid tumors by innovating ways to overcome the unique barriers of solid tumor environments, with promising clinical results.

13 Nov 2024

AI technique helps neurosurgeons detect hidden cancer during brain tumor surgery

Technique offers new hope for increased survival in patients with brain tumors.

13 Nov 2024

Early genomic profiling improves cancer treatment outcomes

New real-world data from Providence, Illumina, and Microsoft Research reveals that Comprehensive Genomic Profiling (CGP), when done early in a cancer patient's diagnosis, leads to better personalized treatment and patient outcomes.

12 Nov 2024

New treatment combination improves outcomes for small cell bladder and prostate cancer patients

A research team led by UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center investigators has shown that that combining pembrolizumab, an immunotherapy drug, with standard chemotherapy can improve treatment outcomes for patients with small cell bladder cancer and small cell/neuroendocrine prostate cancer.

12 Nov 2024

Study shows how a single defective BRCA1 gene accelerates cancer development

People inherit two copies of each gene -; one from each parent -; an evolutionary fail-safe to ensure survival even when one of them doesn't function.

11 Nov 2024

VANCE trial marks milestone in t cell therapy for solid tumors

The largest ever clinical trial of T cell therapy for solid tumors has ended, heralding a new era for precision T cell therapy.

11 Nov 2024

New genetic model offers insights into breast cancer metastasis

A Michigan State University researcher's new model for studying breast cancer could help scientists better understand why and where cancer metastasizes.

11 Nov 2024

Studies link gut dysbiosis to pancreatic cancer, offering pathways for early detection

The gut microbiome's impact on pancreatic cancer highlights potential for early screening and fecal microbiota transplantation in improving treatment efficacy.

11 Nov 2024

Novel bladder cancer treatment gains MHRA approval in the UK

Johnson & Johnson has announced that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has granted marketing authorization for BALVERSA®▼ (erdafitinib) as a monotherapy for the treatment of adults with unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC), the most common form of bladder cancer.

9 Nov 2024