Tissue Science and Regenerative Medicine

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a widely used treatment for cancer. It usually entails the use of chemicals to destroy cancer cells on a selective basis. As part of the body's natural process, cells are constantly replaced through a process of dividing and growing. When cancer occurs, cells reproduce in an uncontrolled manner. More and more cells are produced, and they start to occupy an increasing amount of space until they occupy the space previously inhabited by useful cells. It usually is used to treat patients with cancer that has spread from the place in the body where it metastasized.Chemotherapy destroys cancer cells anywhere in the body. It even kills cells that have broken off from the main tumor & travel through the blood or lymph systems to the other parts of the body.

Chemotherapy drugs: Impair mitosis, or prevent cell division, as in the case of cytotoxic drugs. Target the cancer cells' food source, which consists of the enzymes and hormones they need to grow. Apoptosis Stop the growth of new blood vessels that supply a tumor in order to starve it. A single drug or a combination of drugs is used. These can be delivered either directly into the bloodstream, to attack cancer cells throughout the body, or they can be targeted to specific cancer sites.