Chemotherapy: What It Is, How It Works, and What You Need to Know

When you hear chemotherapy, a type of cancer treatment that uses powerful drugs to destroy rapidly dividing cells. Also known as chemo, it’s one of the most common ways doctors fight cancer — whether to shrink tumors before surgery, kill remaining cells after surgery, or control cancer that’s spread. It’s not a single drug, but a whole family of treatments, each with different targets, side effects, and uses. Some work by damaging DNA inside cancer cells. Others stop cells from dividing. Some even trigger the body’s own immune system to attack tumors.

Chemotherapy doesn’t just hit cancer cells — it also affects healthy cells that grow fast, like those in your hair follicles, digestive tract, and bone marrow. That’s why side effects like hair loss, nausea, fatigue, and low blood counts are so common. But here’s the good news: we’ve gotten much better at managing them. For example, antiemetics, medications designed to prevent nausea and vomiting during cancer treatment like ondansetron (Zofran) and granisetron are now standard before chemo sessions. These drugs have changed what it means to go through treatment — many people now stay active, eat normally, and even work during therapy.

Chemotherapy is often used alongside other treatments. You might get it before radiation to shrink a tumor, or after surgery to clear out leftover cancer cells. Newer versions, like targeted therapies and immunotherapies, are blurring the lines between traditional chemo and other drug types. But many patients still rely on classic chemo drugs like paclitaxel, doxorubicin, or cisplatin — and knowing how they work helps you ask the right questions. For instance, if you’re on a drug that lowers white blood cells, your doctor might prescribe growth factors to help your body recover faster. If your kidneys are affected, dosing adjustments are critical — and your care team should be monitoring your eGFR levels closely.

What you won’t find in every hospital brochure is how real people manage chemo day to day. Some use ginger tea for nausea. Others wear cooling caps to keep their hair. A few take supplements to fight fatigue — but not all are safe. That’s why knowing what’s backed by science matters. Below, you’ll find real, practical guides on how chemo affects your body, what drugs help with side effects, and how to avoid dangerous interactions — especially with common medications like antihistamines or painkillers. Whether you’re a patient, caregiver, or just trying to understand what’s happening, these posts give you the facts without the fluff.