Goal of Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

Chemotherapy drugs kill all cells that grow rapidly, including cancer cells.

Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. It’s a systemic treatment. That means it affects your whole body. The drugs travel all through your body in your bloodstream, killing rapidly dividing cancer cells. Here are some ways chemotherapy works.

• It may disrupt cell growth.

• It may prevent cells from reproducing.

• It may cause your immune system to destroy the “invader.” 

Chemotherapy may be able to cure cancer--meaning the tumor disappears and doesn’t return. If a cure isn’t possible, chemotherapy may be able to help keep the cancer from growing or spreading. Or, if the cancer is advanced and can’t be controlled, chemotherapy may help ease symptoms caused by cancer and improve your quality of life.