Chemotherapy

What is Chemotherapy and How Does it Work?

Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy kills cells which are dividing rapidly. Surgery or radiation destroys cancer cells in one area of the body, while chemotherapy travels throughout the body and kills cancer cells wherever they may be located.

When chemotherapy kills cancer cells, it also kills some normal cells. The cells most affected by these drugs are cells in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract, hair follicles, and some reproductive cells.

This is the reason side effects of chemotherapy may include low blood cell counts, nausea, mouth sores, diarrhea, hair loss, infertility, and others

More than one chemotherapy drug may be given at a time. They appear to have additional effects when combined. The combination of drugs may be given weekly or every three to four weeks. There is a break between cycles of chemotherapy which allows for the blood counts to recover. Multiple cycles of chemotherapy are given to destroy more cancer cells.

Outpatient Infusions

Proud to offer an Outpatient Infusion Center.

Highlands Oncology also provides outpatient infusions for patients who do NOT have cancer but instead have some other type disease. These diseases may require the administration of medication in order to keep the disease under control. Many of these medications must be administered by highly trained nurses such as those who work in the Treatment Room because are similar to chemotherapy or biologic therapy in that they target the cells responsible for the disease.