Breast Investigators

Source: American Cancer Society

What is chemo?

Chemotherapy, or chemo for short, means taking certain types of drugs to treat cancer. You might take these drugs before or after cancer surgery. You might take them with radiation (x-ray) treatment. Or you might take chemo alone.

Chemo has been helping people beat cancer since the early 1950s. The chemo drugs your doctor uses have been tested again and again. Research shows they work. Partly because of chemo, many people with cancer can have full, healthy lives.

How does chemo work?

If your doctor wants you to have chemo, it means something can be done to try to control, or maybe even cure, your cancer.

Cancer is a group of cells that divide very fast and grow out of control. The word cancer is a name for many different diseases. Each type of cancer affects the body in different ways. But all cancers have one thing in common: they are abnormal cells growing out of control.

Different chemo drugs are used to treat different cancers. The drugs go through the whole body to kill the cancer cells. More than one chemo drug will probably be used for your treatment. This is called combination chemotherapy. The drugs work together to kill more cancer cells.

Your doctor will tell you what chemo is best for you and your type of cancer. Together, you will plan a treatment that works best for you.

How is chemo given?

Most chemo drugs are given in one of these ways:

• You might just take a pill. If your chemo is a pill or liquid, you can often take it at home, but you must follow your doctor's directions carefully.

• You may be given chemo shots in your doctor's office, a hospital, a clinic, or at home.

• Most often, chemo is given into your veins through a needle or tiny plastic tube (called a catheter). This is called IV (intravenous) chemo.

You may get chemo once a day, once a week, or even once a month. It depends on the type of cancer you have and the chemo you are taking. How long you get chemo also depends on how your body responds to the drugs.

How much does chemo cost?

How much chemo costs depends on a lot of things, such as the kinds of drugs used, how you get them, how often you get them, and for how long. You can ask your doctor about cost and where to get help in paying for chemo if you need it.

If you have health insurance, check to see if it pays for your chemo. You will want to keep your health insurance, even if you must be out of work for treatment. If your insurance is through your job, don't quit until you find out ways to help you keep your insurance. See if you can take Family Medical Leave or if you are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. You can call us at 1-800-227-2345 to learn more.

If you have no health insurance, you may want to ask a social worker at your hospital or clinic to help you look into government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, or other agencies that may help you. Cancer treatment can cost a lot. It is good to know what kind of coverage you have and what financial help you may be able to get.