Systemic treatments are those that have effects throughout the body rather than being applied directly to the cancer. Chemotherapy is a form of systemic treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer cells or to stop them from growing.
Systemic cancer therapy includes
Hormonal therapy
Chemotherapy (anti-cancer drugs)
Targeted drug therapy
Immune therapy
Gene therapy
Various other drugs for cancer
Immunotherapy is a systemic cancer treatment that stimulates the body''s immune system against cancer (see Immunotherapy for Cancer).
The number of approved cancer therapies is increasing rapidly. The National Cancer Institute maintains an up-to-date list of drugs used to treat cancer. The list provides a brief summary of each drug''s uses and links to additional information.
Not all cancers respond to chemotherapy. The type of cancer determines which drugs are used, in what combination, and at what dose and schedule. Chemotherapy may be used as the sole treatment or combined with radiation therapy, surgery, or immune therapy
