Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy |
| Chemotherapy is a treatment with drugs. Chemotherapy is used alone or combined with surgery and/or radiotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs injure or kill body cells. Chemotherapy attacks cancer cells but will also effect some normal cells and this causes side effects. These side effects are usually temporary. Different drugs have different side effects and children can react differently to the same cytotoxic drug. Chemotherapy can be given in many ways. In children, it is usually given by tablets or by injection into the blood, tissue or spinal fluid. Chemotherapy can be given over different periods of time, in hospital or at home as an outpatient. How chemotherapy is given depends on the drug and the type of cancer. For more information regarding chemotherapy please refer to The Information Book Edition 2.1, Section 4:4. |