Chemotherapy- Neoadjuvant, Concurrent, Adjuvant and Palliative

Chemotherapy is aggressive form of chemical drug therapy implied to destroy growing cells within the body rapidly. It's used to treat cancer, as cancer cells develop and divide quicker than other cells.

1. Neoadjuvant :
   Neoadjuvant chemotherapy could be a type of cancer treatment where chemotherapy drugs are administered prior to surgical extraction of the tumor. Your specialist may recommend neoadjuvant chemotherapy to shrink the breast cancer tumor to provide him or her more surgical choices for your care.
2. Concurrent:
   Concurrent chemo-radiation makes use of radiotherapy and chemotherapy at the same time to treat cancer. Radiotherapy may be a common form of anti-cancer treatment that beams high-energy radiation particles specifically onto cancer cells.

1. Adjuvant :
   Adjuvant therapy is any type of treatment that takes after the primary treatment. So, adjuvant chemotherapy takes place after you've had first-line treatment, such as surgery to eliminate a cancerous tumor.
2. Palliative : Palliative care is treatment utilized to provide symptom and enhances the quality of life. It's not utilized to cure an illness. In cancer care, palliative chemotherapy may be part of your treatment. The objectives of palliative chemotherapy is different from that of chemotherapy meant to cure somebody of their cancer.

How does chemotherapy work?

It targets cells that develop and divides rapidly, as cancer cells do. Unlike radiation or surgery, which target particular areas, chemo can work all through your body. But it can influence a fast-growing healthy cells, like those of the skin, hair, intestines, and bone marrow. That's what causes some of the side effects from the treatment.

How long does chemotherapy last?

That depends on:

1. The sort of cancer you have
2. How distant along it is
3. The objective of treatment: cure, control growth, or ease pain
4. The type of chemotherapy
5. The way your body reacts to the treatment

You may have chemotherapy in “cycles,” which implies a period of treatment and after that a period of rest. For example, a 4-week cycle may be 1 week of treatment and after that 3 weeks of rest. The rest enables your body to make new healthy cells. Once a cycle has been planned out, it's better not to skip a treatment, but your specialist may recommend it if side impacts are serious. At that point your medical team will likely plan a new cycle to assist you get back on track.