Chemotherapy: What It Is, How It Works, and What to Expect

When you hear the word chemotherapy, a type of cancer treatment that uses powerful drugs to destroy fast-growing cells in the body. Also known as chemo, it’s one of the most common ways doctors fight cancer, especially when it has spread beyond one area. It’s not magic, but it’s science that’s saved millions of lives. The goal isn’t always to cure—it can also be to shrink tumors, slow growth, or make other treatments like surgery or radiation more effective.

Chemotherapy doesn’t target just cancer cells. It hits any fast-dividing cell, which is why you might lose hair, feel sick to your stomach, or get tired easily. These aren’t side effects you’re imagining—they’re expected. But they’re also temporary for most people. Newer drugs and better support medicines mean many patients handle chemo better today than they did 10 years ago. What matters most is the type of cancer, how far it’s spread, and your overall health. Not everyone gets the same drugs or the same schedule. Some get chemo weekly. Others get it every three weeks. Some take pills at home. Others sit in a clinic for hours while the medicine drips into their vein.

It’s not the only tool in the box. Chemotherapy often works with radiation therapy, a treatment that uses high-energy beams to kill cancer cells in a specific area, or immunotherapy, a treatment that helps your immune system recognize and attack cancer cells. Some people even get chemo before surgery to shrink a tumor, or after to make sure no cells are left behind. The plan is always personal. And while it’s tough, it’s not the end of normal life for most. Many keep working, walking, cooking, and spending time with family during treatment.

What you’ll find here are real stories and facts from people who’ve walked this path—what worked, what didn’t, and what doctors in India actually say about managing chemo at home, dealing with fatigue, or knowing when to push through and when to rest. There’s no sugarcoating, no fluff. Just what you need to know to make sense of it all.