Chemotherapy is one of the main forms of treatment that is used in curing cancer. In this process, drugs are given to prevent the active cancerous cells from proliferating. The dividing cells are killed with the help of these drugs.

In every stage of cancer, a different type of chemotherapeutic drug is given that acts differently to cure the disease. In this article, the technologies and methodology adopted to give chemotherapeutic drugs will be discussed.

How does chemotherapy work?
The chemotherapy procedure involves the administration of several or a single drug. This generally works by stopping the multiplication of the cancerous cells. Some of the pathways of action of chemotherapeutic drugs are explained below:

• Mitosis is the process by which the cancerous cells divide uncontrollably. Some of the cytotoxic drugs block the mitotic division.
• Some other drugs generally target the discontinuation of the supply of food source in the form of enzyme and hormones to the cancerous cells.
• The apoptosis of the cancerous cells is also triggered by a certain class of drugs.
• The tumor cells are made to starve by blocking the blood vessels that supply the tumor for healthy growth.

Methods of administering chemotherapy
There are several methods by which medical professionals conduct the chemotherapy process. These are:

• Intravenous administration
  This is a method of directly adding chemotherapeutic drugs in the blood through a soft and tiny tube of plastic called the catheter. The drugs can be given directly within a few minutes via the IV. Sometimes a bigger catheter also called the CVC can be used to inject the drug into the larger vein in arm or chest.

• Oral administration
  Another method of taking chemotherapy is in the form of a capsule, pill or liquid. This can be taken while staying back at home. The exact doses must be carefully taken according to the doctor’s prescription.

• Intrathecal
  It is a method of administering the drug in the spinal canal. The drugs in this case get incorporated directly into the cerebrospinal fluid that supplements the spinal cord and brain. This, then progresses towards the cancerous cells. Through this method, the drugs can reach to distant parts that earlier could not surpass the blood-brain barrier.

• Intraarterial
  In this method, the drug is directly administered into the main artery that is responsible for supplying blood to the cancerous cells. This is a special form of regional chemotherapy where the drugs are supplied to a single area.

• Intramuscular
  The chemotherapeutic drugs can be given in the muscle through a single injection or a shot.

• Intra-cavitary
  The chemotherapeutic drugs are given to a bound and closed area of the body like the chest or the abdomen by using a catheter.

• Intra-lesional
  In this method, the needle containing the drug is directly given to the tumor. This only occurs in the case where the tumor is safely reachable with the help of a needle.

• Intra-vesical
  With the use of a soft catheter, the chemotherapy drugs are administered into the bladder. These drugs then stay in the system for a brief period and are drained out early.

Thus, through the above-mentioned methods, chemotherapy is given after determining the stages of cancer and the effectiveness of varying forms of treatment.