Final answer:
Chemotherapy refers to the treatment involving anti-cancer drugs to destroy cancer cells, often causing side effects due to damage of healthy, rapidly dividing cells. It may be given alone or in combination with other treatments, aiming for total eradication of cancerous cells.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer to the question '… a drug or combination of drugs, given to a patient, in order to kill cancer cells' is A. Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that employs one or more anti-cancer drugs as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. These drugs are designed to destroy cancer cells, and while they are often effective at doing so, they can also harm rapidly dividing healthy cells, leading to side effects such as hair loss and damage to the lining of the digestive system.
Chemotherapy may be delivered directly into the bloodstream, and it's not uncommon for it to be used in conjunction with other cancer treatments. Combination chemotherapy involves using multiple drugs together, as they may work more synergistically than when administered alone. The ultimate goal of chemotherapy is the total eradication of cancer cells, which is a principle shared with other treatment modalities such as surgical removal of tumors and radiation therapy.