I’m not an expert on this, but my understanding is chemotherapy is a way to stop cancer sells from spreading, and eliminate those that exist. Cells are constantly dividing, and cancer sells, as with normals sells, divide to form new ones. By trying to kill the bad ones, you can try to stop cancer from spreading.
Chris or Goli would be the best to answer this, but as Brad said, chemotherapy (like other forms of cancer treatment) is to destroy and stop cancer cells from spreading. The cells with cancer are different as they divide rapidly (compared with normal cells) – so the most common chemotherapy agents will target them. Unfortunately these compounds would also damage normal cells which also divide rapidly so that is why you have many side effects (such as loss of hair or immunosuppression, where your immune system is compromised).
Chemotherapy in essence attacks dividing cells and kills them. Cancer cells are the fastest dividing cells in your body, so the idea is that chemotherapy attacks them and kills them. There are other dividing cells in the body too–for example your hair or cells that line your stomach. This is why some people lose their hair or vomit while on treatment. The problem is that cancer cells are smart and have figured out ways to protect themselves from chemotherapy, so even though you kill most of them, some are resistant and grow back.
What the others have said is true: chemo targets dividing cells, and as cancer cells are usually the fastest-dividing cells in the body they are usually the most senstivie to it. As Goli said, other cells such as hair and stomach lining cells, are also frequently dividing and are also sensitive to chemo. What we are learning is that, while cancer cells do divide rapidly, many cancers retain a small core of cells that don’t divide rapidly (and so aren’t killed by chemo), but are capable of re-growing the cancer when chemo stops. This is one reason that people suffer relapses, in addition to what Goli said about cancers becoming resistant.
I’m not an expert on this, but my understanding is chemotherapy is a way to stop cancer sells from spreading, and eliminate those that exist. Cells are constantly dividing, and cancer sells, as with normals sells, divide to form new ones. By trying to kill the bad ones, you can try to stop cancer from spreading.
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Chris or Goli would be the best to answer this, but as Brad said, chemotherapy (like other forms of cancer treatment) is to destroy and stop cancer cells from spreading. The cells with cancer are different as they divide rapidly (compared with normal cells) – so the most common chemotherapy agents will target them. Unfortunately these compounds would also damage normal cells which also divide rapidly so that is why you have many side effects (such as loss of hair or immunosuppression, where your immune system is compromised).
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Chemotherapy in essence attacks dividing cells and kills them. Cancer cells are the fastest dividing cells in your body, so the idea is that chemotherapy attacks them and kills them. There are other dividing cells in the body too–for example your hair or cells that line your stomach. This is why some people lose their hair or vomit while on treatment. The problem is that cancer cells are smart and have figured out ways to protect themselves from chemotherapy, so even though you kill most of them, some are resistant and grow back.
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What the others have said is true: chemo targets dividing cells, and as cancer cells are usually the fastest-dividing cells in the body they are usually the most senstivie to it. As Goli said, other cells such as hair and stomach lining cells, are also frequently dividing and are also sensitive to chemo. What we are learning is that, while cancer cells do divide rapidly, many cancers retain a small core of cells that don’t divide rapidly (and so aren’t killed by chemo), but are capable of re-growing the cancer when chemo stops. This is one reason that people suffer relapses, in addition to what Goli said about cancers becoming resistant.
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