What Is Chemotherapy — and Why Has It Been Advised?
Being told you need chemotherapy raises immediate questions. This page answers the most important ones — what it is, why it has been recommended for you, and what it is realistically intended to achieve.
Medically reviewed by Dr. N. Kiranmayee, Medical Oncologist · Last reviewed September 2026
- Not one medicine — a group — Your oncologist chooses specific medicines for your cancer type. The word chemotherapy covers many different drugs.
- It travels through the bloodstream — That is why it can reach cancer that has spread beyond the original site — something surgery or radiation alone cannot always do.
- Two distinct goals exist — Some chemotherapy aims for remission. Some aims to control growth and relieve symptoms. Your oncologist will tell you which applies to you.
- Most cycles are day care — At CION, most chemotherapy is given during the day in a clinic. You go home the same day.
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Chemotherapy is medicine that stops or slows cancer cell growth. Your oncologist has advised it because it matches what the evidence supports for your cancer type and stage. What it is intended to achieve — whether that means aiming for remission or controlling growth — will be explained before treatment begins.
What does chemotherapy do inside your body?
Chemotherapy is medicine — given by drip, injection, or tablet — that interferes with the ability of cells to divide.
Cancer cells divide faster and less predictably than most normal cells. Most chemotherapy medicines exploit that difference.
Normal cells are also affected, which is why side effects occur. Most normal cells recover during the rest period between cycles.
Because the medicines travel through the bloodstream, they can reach cancer that has spread beyond the original site. That is one reason a systemic treatment is sometimes preferred over local options like surgery or radiation alone.
Why has chemotherapy been advised for you?
- Your cancer type is one where chemotherapy is part of the evidence-based standard of care.
- Your cancer stage or spread means systemic treatment is the most appropriate approach.
- Chemotherapy may be given before surgery to shrink the tumour so it is easier or safer to remove.
- Chemotherapy may be given after surgery to reduce the risk of the cancer returning.
- Your cancer may have spread to more than one area — chemotherapy can reach the whole body, not just one site.
- Your oncologist has reviewed your overall health and judged that you can tolerate the planned regimen.
What do words like cycle, regimen, and adjuvant mean?
- Cycle
- One course of chemotherapy medicine followed by a rest period. Your regimen will run over several cycles.
- Regimen
- The specific combination of medicines, their timing, and the number of cycles chosen for your cancer type and stage.
- Adjuvant chemotherapy
- Chemotherapy given after surgery. The aim is to destroy any remaining cancer cells and reduce the chance of the cancer coming back.
- Neoadjuvant chemotherapy
- Chemotherapy given before surgery. The aim is to shrink the tumour so it is easier to remove completely.
- Palliative chemotherapy
- Chemotherapy aimed at controlling cancer growth and relieving symptoms rather than attempting remission. Palliative describes the goal of this treatment — it does not mean there are no further options.
- Day care
- Treatment given in a clinic during the day, so you go home the same day. This is how most chemotherapy at CION is given.
Where to find us
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Addressed by landmark, because that is how this city navigates. Each centre also names the areas it serves, so you can place it without a map. Consultation and day-care Chemotherapy run at every one of them.
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MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
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MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
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Does chemotherapy work, and what can it realistically achieve?
This is one of the most important questions to ask your oncologist — and one you deserve a direct answer to.
Chemotherapy can aim for different things. In some cancers and stages, the intention is remission — no detectable cancer remaining after treatment. In others, the aim is to slow growth and extend the period of good-quality life.
Both are legitimate and worthwhile goals. Knowing which one applies to you changes how you understand what a good response looks like.
Ask your oncologist three questions before treatment begins: What is this treatment trying to achieve? What does a good response look like? What are the options if it does not respond? You are entitled to clear answers to all three.
What happens when you start chemotherapy?
Pre-treatment blood tests
Before each cycle, your oncologist checks your blood counts, kidney function, and liver function. Treatment proceeds only when the results confirm you are ready.
Venous access
Chemotherapy is given through a vein. If your regimen needs repeated infusions, a small line may be placed to protect your veins over the course of treatment.
The infusion or tablet
Some regimens are given as an infusion in the clinic over a period of hours. Others are taken as tablets at home. Your oncologist will explain which applies to your regimen.
Rest before the next cycle
After each dose there is a rest period — typically one to three weeks — for your body to recover before the next cycle begins.
Response assessment
After a planned number of cycles, your oncologist will arrange scans or blood tests to assess how the cancer has responded. The plan is reviewed and may be adjusted at that point.
Did you know?
Managing chemotherapy side effects is now considered a core part of treatment — not an afterthought.
ASCO and NCCN guidelines include medicines for nausea, infection risk, and anaemia as a planned element of any chemotherapy regimen. Side effects are expected and prepared for in advance, not left for you to manage alone.
Source: ASCO Supportive Care Guidelines; NCCN Guidelines for Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting
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Still not sure what applies to you?
Send your reports across and a senior medical oncologist will go through what they mean, what is known, and what the options actually are.
Frequently asked questions
Can I refuse chemotherapy if I am not ready?
You can. Chemotherapy requires your informed consent, and you have the right to say no, ask for more time, or ask for a second opinion before deciding. If you are not ready, tell your oncologist — a short delay to reach clarity is often manageable. What your oncologist will want you to understand is the likely consequence of waiting for your specific cancer, because timing matters more for some cancers than others. That conversation is one you are entitled to have fully and without pressure.
Will I lose my hair on chemotherapy?
Hair loss depends on the specific medicines in your regimen — not all chemotherapy causes it. Some regimens cause significant loss, some cause thinning, and some cause none at all. Your oncologist will tell you what to expect from your specific regimen before you start. Where hair loss does occur, it is almost always temporary — hair typically begins to regrow after treatment ends.
Can I continue working during chemotherapy?
Many people do, particularly when their work is not physically demanding. The days after each infusion tend to be the most tiring; many people plan lighter activity for those days and manage more normally in the later part of the cycle. What you can manage depends on your regimen and how your body responds. Some people reduce their hours, some take leave for the duration, and some continue normally — all are valid choices. Your oncologist can give you a realistic picture based on your specific regimen.
What is the difference between curative and palliative chemotherapy?
Curative chemotherapy is given with the aim of remission — no detectable cancer after treatment. Palliative chemotherapy aims to control cancer growth, relieve symptoms, and maintain quality of life, rather than attempt remission. Both involve the same clinical setting and sometimes the same medicines. The difference is the goal, established by your oncologist based on your cancer type, stage, and overall health. If you are not certain which applies to you, ask directly — it is one of the most important questions to have answered clearly.
Can I take vitamins, herbal medicines, or home remedies alongside chemotherapy?
Tell your oncologist and pharmacist everything you take before starting treatment — including medicines from other doctors, over-the-counter tablets, ayurvedic or herbal preparations, and vitamins. Some interactions are clinically significant: certain supplements and herbal medicines affect how chemotherapy is processed in the body, and some may reduce its effect or increase side effects. Your team needs to know so they can advise you safely. Be honest about everything you are taking — they are not there to judge, they are there to help you make treatment as safe as possible.
How many cycles of chemotherapy will I need?
The number depends on your cancer type, your regimen, and how your cancer responds. Most regimens are planned across a set number of cycles, after which your response is assessed and the plan reviewed. Your oncologist will give you the planned number before you start — ask at your first appointment if it has not been explained. The plan may be adjusted if your cancer responds earlier than expected, or if side effects require a change.
Chemotherapy Topics
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