Procedures

oncology

Chemotherapy is the systemic delivery of cytotoxic drugs to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells. The term spans many drug classes — alkylating agents, antimetabolites, antimicrotubule agents, topoisomerase inhibitors, anthracyclines and others — and many delivery routes (intravenous, oral, intrathecal, intra-arterial). Regimens are typically defined by cancer type, stage, and patient fitness, and are delivered as a sequence of cycles with rest periods to allow normal tissues to recover. Modern oncology increasingly combines cytotoxic chemotherapy with targeted therapies, immunotherapies, hormonal agents, and radiotherapy in carefully sequenced protocols. Travelling abroad for chemotherapy is uncommon and should be considered cautiously: continuity of care across cycles, access to emergency services for febrile neutropenia, and integration with home-country surveillance imaging are easier to manage when treatment is delivered close to where the patient lives.