Final answer:
Chemotherapy uses chemotherapeutic drugs to target and kill rapidly dividing cancer cells, affecting both cancerous and healthy cells. Targeted chemotherapy focuses on specific cancer molecules, reducing side effects. Ongoing research seeks even more precise treatments, including immune system-based therapies.
Step-by-step explanation:
How Chemotherapy Fights Cancer
Chemotherapy is a medical treatment primarily used to fight cancer by using one or more drugs to kill cancer cells. These drugs are called chemotherapeutic agents, and they target cells that divide rapidly, a common characteristic of cancerous cells. Chemotherapy drugs can interfere with the cancer cells' ability to duplicate DNA or separate chromosomes during cell division, which is critical for cancer growth. Notably, chemotherapy can also impact healthy tissues with high cell turnover rates, causing side effects such as hair loss and damage to the digestive system lining.
To improve the specificity and reduce harm to healthy cells, researchers have developed targeted chemotherapy. These therapies hone in on specific molecules unique to cancer cells and thereby cause fewer adverse side effects compared to traditional chemotherapy. Beyond its most common association with cancer, chemotherapy also encompasses the use of antimicrobial drugs to treat infections by destroying or impeding the growth and multiplication of infectious microorganisms.
While extremely effective, chemotherapy does not differentiate perfectly between healthy and cancerous cells, which is why researchers continue to explore more precise methods, including the use of the patient's immune system and targeted pharmaceuticals, to specifically attack cancer cells without damaging normal tissue.