Chemotherapy or chemo is often given in cycles with a certain period of chemotherapy-free time in between cycles. Each cycle may be separated by as little as a day to an entire month. Usually more than one cycle is necessary for full treatment,...

but usually includes about three cycles on average. The frequency of the chemotherapy is based on the specific chemotherapeutic agent(s) used and the type of cancer being treated.

 

Chemotherapy is administered by an oncologist and oncological nurse in a hospital, cancer center, or office. Depending on the chemotherapy drug that is administered, it can be given as a pill or liquid to be swallowed, as an infusate into a vein, an injection into a muscle or under the skin, or as a topical cream. For cancers of the brain, the chemotherapy might be infused into the fluid surrounding the brain directly. If the chemotherapy must be administered into a vein, sometimes a special venous access device will be placed prior to therapy. This is done to protect the rather fragile veins in the arms and legs from being irritated by the drug.

 

A nurse that has been specially trained to administer chemotherapy will monitor the patient during the infusion or for a time after the chemotherapy has been administered. He or she is looking for specific chemotherapy side effects and will administer treatments to reduce or eliminate many of them.