How does Chemotherapy actually Work?

National Cancer Institute

What is Chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy is one of the main treatments for cancer. Cancer can be defined as uncontrollable cell growth, which means that chemotherapy must somehow stop that growth. How does chemotherapy actually stop cancer from growing?

Cancer cells grow at an uncontrollable rate, which is the reason why it is difficult for the immune system to destroy these cells as it does with others. The basic idea of chemotherapy is using drugs to effectively damage the fast growing cells and stop them from multiplying further. Specifically, it kills the cells that are in the process of dividing into 2 new cells by damaging the genes found in the nucleus. Each type of drug attacks a different part of the replicating process and are used to handle different types of cancers.

Most common categories:

• Alkylating Agents: They destroy molecules that make up cancer cells. Some cancers that are treated include leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin disease, and more.
• Antimetabolites: They mimic parts of DNA to disrupt the cell’s life cycle and to stop them from growing. Some cancers that are treated include leukemia and cancer found in the breast, ovaries, or intestines.
• Anti-tumor Antibiotics: Similar to antibiotics that kill bacteria, anti-tumor antibiotics attack the DNA in cells to stop them from growing. They are good with treating a wide range of cancers, from lung cancer to types of blood cancers.
• Topoisomerase Inhibitors: During DNA Replication, enzymes called topoisomerase play an important role of relieving the tension of the coiled DNA. These inhibitors block this enzyme from completing this task, which stop the cells from replication. It mostly treats lung, ovarian, and gastrointestinal cancers.
• Mitotic Inhibitors: As suggested by the name, these drugs inhibit the process of mitosis, or cell division. This would stop cells from continuing to grow and replicate. These drugs work well in treating blood cancers.

“Human colorectal cancer cells treated with a topoisomerase inhibitor and an inhibitor of the protein kinase ATR” (National Cancer Institute)

All these types of chemotherapy drugs allow doctors to choose the right drug to attack the part of the system required. It also depends on the stage of the cancer and location of the cancer.

Side Effects

One of the main challenges with chemotherapy is that the drugs cannot accurately distinguish cancer cells with other cells that also grow at a fast rate. This is why it also affects other healthy tissues including, hair cells, cells in the digestive tract, bone marrow, and skin cells. This is why many of the common side affects of chemotherapy include hair loss, nausea, brittle nails, dry skin, increased infection risk, and many more.

How is Chemotherapy Administered?

The way chemotherapy is administered primarily depends on the type, location, and stage of cancer. Chemotherapy is often given in cycles to attack cells at different growth stages. This also allows the healthy cells to recover and grow. In the mean time, the cancerous cells are continuously being attacked upon to hopefully generate a cumulative effect in destroying it.

Methods:

• Intravenously (IV): most common method Drugs flow directly into the bloodstream through a vein.
• Orally: Swallowing pills at home or at a hospital.
• Injections: Directly into the tumor, under the skin, or into a muscle.
• Topical: Applied directly to the skin as a cream or gel (commonly used for skin cancers).
• Regional Therapy: Delivering the drug directly to a specific area.

Chemotherapy can also be implemented with other treatment options like targeted therapies, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. By combining efforts of multiples therapies, doctors create a plan specific to the cancer accumulated in a person to effectively destroy it completely.

National Cancer Institute

Chemotherapy can be physically and emotionally challenging, yet it represents decades of scientific research aimed at finding ways to target cancer cells while preserving as many healthy cells as possible. Although it remains one of the most widely used cancer treatments today, it is just one of many tools available in the fight against cancer. As scientists continue to develop new therapies and improve existing ones, an important question remains: how can we make treatments more effective while minimizing their impact on healthy cells?

Sources:

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