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Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is treatment with strong drugs which destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy drugs can be swallowed, injected into a vein (‘intravenously’) or injected into spinal fluid (by ‘lumbar puncture’). The drugs circulate around the body, killing any cancer cells they find.

Unfortunately, chemotherapy drugs can also destroy healthy cells, particularly those that grow very quickly. For example, hair cells grow quickly so they are often affected by chemotherapy, which is why many patients lose their hair during treatment. The hair will grow back later on once treatment has ended.


	The immune system is affected by chemotherapy, so a child or young person receiving chemotherapy will have a lower resistance to infections and illnesses.

The immune system is affected by chemotherapy, so a child or young person receiving chemotherapy will have a lower resistance to infections and illnesses. It is important that the patient is not exposed to infections until their immune system recovers.

There are many different types of chemotherapy drugs and various ways of administering them. For example, some are administered via a central line (a long thin tube inserted into a vein in the chest) or other intravenous means. For most there are few restrictions on everyday life, but the parents or doctor should be consulted for anything specific you should be aware of – for instance, if rough physical contact must be avoided.

For more information, please see CancerBacup’s website.

	The chemo made me lethargic and nauseous, and the injections gave me back pain and painful joints. The strongest of the chemo made my hair fall out and I often lost my appetite.Charnjit, 14