Every patient is different and every cancer is different. Depending on your specific diagnosis, the goal of your chemotherapy might be:

• To get rid of the cancer completely and cure the cancer
• To shrink the tumour before surgery or radiation treatment
• To get rid of any cancer cells left in the body after the tumour has been removed surgically
• To slow the growth of the cancer when a cure is not possible
• To help relieve a symptom that the cancer or tumour may be causing, such as pain

You and your doctor will choose the treatment that will work best for you. This may mean a chemotherapy that causes some manageable side effects in order to have the best chance of a cure. Or it may mean choosing a chemotherapy with the fewest possible side effects.

Keep in mind that the best option may be for you and your healthcare team to choose the maximum safe dose to cure the cancer, even at the cost of experiencing some side effects.

Your healthcare team will make sure that your experience is as comfortable as possible.

Chemotherapy treatments have improved. Find out how chemotherapy has advanced.