Chemotherapy

Because all drugs are essentially chemical materials, use of any drug as a cancer therapy is called chemotherapy.  Most cancer drugs tend to attack fast growing cells, which is one important characteristic of cancer cells.  However, some of the normal cells also have similar fast growing characteristic, including hair follicles, cells in the gastrointestinal tract, and skin, thus they have a high tendency to be attacked by cancer drugs.  This is the main reason why cancer patients often experience hair loss, diarrhea, and rashes during or after chemotherapy.

Generally speaking, chemotherapy drugs may be broadly divided into two basic categories based on their functions:

1. To inhibit or hamper DNA replication or RNA synthesis, thus, cell replication is inhibited or hampered.  
2. To affect cancer cell activities/behaviors and eventually result in cell death.  

© Jiajiu Shaw, 2015 

Disclaimer: This blog is written solely for informational purposes. It does not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing or other medical professional health care advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All contents posted are extracted from the book I am writing, "IS CANCER IN US", to be published in about two months.