If you’re researching chemotherapy for the first time, you’re probably wondering what is chemotherapy? The most common chemotherapy definition is the use of medicines or drugs to treat diseases, although chemotherapy, or “chemo”, is most often used as a treatment for cancer.

When cancer has metastasized, or begun to spread, chemo is used to lessen or halt the division of cancerous cells. While treatments such as radiation and surgery affect only one area affected by cancer, chemo can attack cancerous cells throughout the entire body. This makes it an effective tool in a treatment plan.

Usually, a combination of drugs is used during treatment, although the exact drug or drugs used is determined by a doctor depending upon the type and severity of the cancer. The success of the therapy will also depend upon the type and severity of the disease and size of the tumor(s). Sometimes chemo is able to destroy all detectable cancer cells and effectively cure the cancer. Other times, chemo can be helpful in reducing the size of the tumor(s) so they can be removed surgically or treated with radiation.

How often chemo is administered depends upon the same factors. Doctors often develop a treatment plan which includes a schedule for chemo, radiation and surgery, as well as other treatments they feel are appropriate.

Because chemo works by destroying cells, it can also destroy or damage healthy cells. This can lead to side effects such as hair loss, weight loss or intestinal problems. Fortunately, these side effects diminish or completely reverse themselves once the therapy is complete.

History of Chemotherapy

Like many medical technologies, chemotherapy’s history and discovery can be traced back to ancient treatment methods. Ayurveda, a type of traditional Indian medicine, is the earliest recorded instance of an herbal treatment that resembles our modern chemotherapy definition. This medical system emphasized a balance of all elements, and incorporated a variety of natural elements, including oils, herbs and spices.

Modern chemotherapy history began unexpectedly during World War II. After an experiment with mustard gas went wrong and several people were exposed, it was discovered that the gas actually lowered white blood cell counts. This led researchers to consider the possibility of using it to kill other cells, such as cancer. Not long after, the first cancer trial was conducted, and the promising results kicked off burst of chemo research.

Since then, researchers have examined the causes of cancer growth and how to target cancer cells specifically. During the early years of the research explosion, they investigated single drugs to inhibit growth. Drugs were used to block or slow cell division, or to deprive the cancerous cells of the materials they needed to survive.

A quarter of a century after the first use of mustard gas, researchers looked to combination antibiotic treatments for an improved model. The advent of the first combination chemotherapy jump started the chemo research and applications. Combination treatments opened the door to more successful surgical and radiation treatments, and greatly improved survival rates.

Chemo research continues today, as researchers look for more targeted treatments. Modern developments not only improve treatment success, but aid in the development of other treatments as we learn more about cancerous cells and their impact on the body. Because of this, it can also be considered one of the most influential discoveries of modern medicine.