Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo) is the treatment of
cancer with one or more cytotoxic antineoplastic drugs
("chemotherapeutic agents") as part of a standardized regimen.
Chemotherapy may be given with a curative intent or it may aim
to prolong life or to palliate symptoms. It is often used in
conjunction with other cancer treatments, such as radiation
therapy or surgery. Certain chemotherapeutic agents also have a
role in the treatment of other conditions, including ankylosing
spondylitis, multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, psoriasis,
psoriatic arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid
arthritis, and scleroderma. Traditional chemotherapeutic agents
act by killing cells that divide rapidly, one of the main
properties of most cancer cells. This means that chemotherapy
also harms cells that divide rapidly under normal circumstances:
cells in the bone marrow, digestive tract, and hair follicles.
This results in the most common side-effects of chemotherapy:
myelosuppression (decreased product