Chemotherapy is one of the oldest and most common treatments for cancer.

What is chemotherapy?

La chemotherapy is a treatment that uses medicines, which aims to destroy cancer cells by preventing them from multiplying or spreading in the body. This treatment is often very effective but affects both cancer cells and healthy cells, which can lead to side effects such as hair loss, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, or suppression of the immune system.

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What are the methods of administration of chemotherapy?

Several routes of administration are possible: by a intravenous injection (that is, in a vein), a subcutaneous injection (that is to say under the skin) or by Oral route (i.e. taking medication in the form of tablets or capsules). Chemotherapy is one of systemic treatments (as opposed to local treatments such as surgery and radiation therapy).

Depending on the tumour, the response to chemotherapy may vary. Depending on the pathology, there are different chemotherapy protocols; protocol that includes the frequency of administration, the total duration of treatment or the time of an infusion. In addition, chemotherapy is a treatment with cycle. In fact, not all cancer cells are necessarily eliminated after the first injection. It is then necessary to repeat the treatment several times for it to be more effective. Between each cycle, periods of rest are imposed on the patient so that his normal cells, disturbed by chemotherapy, can recover.

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What are the types of chemotherapy?

There are several types of chemotherapy, depending on the origin of the tumor to be treated. In particular, DNA altering agents, antimitotics and inhibitors of the DNA repair enzyme are found.

A cancerous tumor is characterized by too much cell proliferation. Les DNA altering agents, also called alkylating agents, will form bonds with the DNA of cells, interrupting its replication process. This intervention will cause the death of the cell, thus putting an end to the development of the tumor.

Cells reproduce through a process of cell division called mitosis. Les antimitotics will slow the proliferation of cells by blocking this division.

Finally, cells whose DNA is damaged are repaired by enzymes. Enzymes are proteins that activate certain chemical reactions in the body. Les DNA repair enzyme inhibitors intervene at this level by blocking this repair process, thus causing the death of the cancer cell.

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New chemotherapy treatments, sometimes in combination with other treatments, are regularly marketed and must first go through phases ofclinical trials. You can find out about these chemotherapy trials by connecting to the Klineo platform.

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Sources: Gustave Roussy Institute, Canadian Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, Planet Vie (ENS)