Question: How does chemotherapy help cancer?

Priya Hari answered on 18 Jun 2015:

Generally chemotherapy consists of a medicine or a mixture of medicine that kill rapidly dividing cells. Cancer cells divide much more rapidly than normal cells, so it can be quite effective. However, our hair follicles are also rapidly dividing, which is why many people on chemotherapy also lose their hair when on treatment.

Newer chemotherapy focus on targeting specific proteins in cancer cells, which not expressed as much in normal cells. By blocking or destroying the proteins, the cancer cells will hopefully die.