Chemotherapy on a Cellular Level

Pink Project
Mar 13, 2022
3 min read

The Pink Project

The word "chemo" and "chemotherapy" are often thrown around a lot in the oncology universe. But what exactly is chemotherapy? How does it work? Take a peek at this post to find out more!

Also, feel free to check out our similar blog post, Chemotherapy and You, which discusses the changes some experience when undergoing chemotherapy.

Photo via Unsplash

Topics

What is Chemotherapy?

The Delivery Methods of Chemotherapy

How Does Chemotherapy Work on a Cellular Level?

References

What is Chemotherapy?

Chemotherapy involves the process of utilizing drugs as a method to kill cancerous cells. It does so by halting the continuous division of cancer cells. Chemotherapy tends to attack all cells that proliferate at accelerated rates since the cancerous cells grow quickly and disregard their surrounding cells. This action is non-specific, meaning that any rapidly replacing cell may be affected through chemotherapy. This includes hair and skin cells since they are forced to regenerate due to harsh conditions and protection. (Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 2021). However, it can also be used for conditions other than cancer such as immune system disorders and bone marrow diseases (Mayo Foundation, 2020). The three types of chemotherapy are standard, cytotoxic, and traditional chemotherapy (Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 2021). This form of treatment can be used alone or in conjunction with other treatment methods such as surgery or radiation therapy (Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 2021).

The Delivery Methods of Chemotherapy

The delivery method of chemotherapy is dependent on the individual and the type of cancer they have. There are various types of delivery methods, however, four delivery methods are briefly summarized below:

1. Intravenous (IV) Chemotherapy (Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 2021):

Requires the injections of drugs into a large vein.
Can be continually infused into the body through a small pump to the individual during chemotherapy infusion sessions.

2. Oral Chemotherapy (Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 2021):

Drugs are taken orally taken in the form of a pill or liquid.
How often they’re taken varies from individual to individual.

3. Injected Chemotherapy (Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 2021):

Received as an injection (shot) that is injected under the skin or injected into a muscle.
The common muscle groups these shots might be injected in include the abdomen, arm or leg

4. Intra-arterial Chemotherapy (Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 2021):

The drug is injected into an artery and carried to the desired location.
Most often used in eye and ocular cancers.

How Does Chemotherapy Work on a Cellular Level?

The ability of chemotherapy to inhibit the division of cancer cells play a role in determining whether the cancer cell is killed or not. The cancer drugs given to the patient damages the RNA or DNA which provides the instructions on duplicating the cancer cells (Chemocare, n.d). An example of this can be “Alkylating agents” which prevent the cell from duplicating and making further DNA copies (American Cancer Society, 2019).

Photo via Unsplash

Another agent which alternatively prevents the DNA from replicating is known as “Antimetabolites”. The regular building blocks of cancerous RNA and DNA are substituted for by Antimetabolites, essentially “tricking” the RNA and DNA, preventing replication (American Cancer Society, 2019). When the division of cancer cells is halted, it dies. Chemotherapy that is given when cancerous cells are undergoing active division is known as “cell-cycle specific” (Cancer.net, n.d). Whereas chemotherapy that is given when cancerous cells are at rest is known as “cell-cycle non -specific (Chemocare, n.d).The frequency and dose of chemotherapy are determined based on how long the cell stays in each phase (American Cancer Society, 2019).

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