How Does Chemotherapy Work?

Chemotherapy has the greatest effect against fast growing cells and destroys cancer cells by keeping the cells from further multiplying.

Some cancer cells grow slowly while others grow rapidly. As a result, different types of chemotherapy drugs target the growth patterns of specific types of cancer cells. Each drug has a different way of working and is effective at a specific time in the life cycle of the cancer cells. Your doctor will determine the chemotherapy drug that is right for your pet.

Chemotherapy cannot tell the difference between a cancer cell and a normal cell. It is not specific and normal, healthy cells can also be affected, especially those that naturally multiply quickly. There is a direct relationship between the amount of chemotherapy given and the number of cells that get hurt. The more chemotherapy we give, the more cancer and normal cells are affected. With high doses of chemotherapy we can control the cancer better but we also see more side effects