Chemotherapy is recognised as is a systemic treatment since drugs are taken orally and metabolised to achieve desired outcomes - the killing of cancer cells at organs or parts of the body. This is opposed to local treatments like radiation therapy or surgery since they are concentrated at a specific part of the body.

While not all medicines and drugs in chemotherapy work the same way, there are now a lot of different kinds of drugs and chemotherapy treatment plans to treat cancer - different kinds of drugs may work better for others.

There, however are downsides to chemotherapy - Chemotherapy drugs do not differentiate cancerous healthy cells from healthy cells, since any fast-multiplying cells are targeted. Many patients will experience a range of undesirable side effects such as a weakened immune system, fatigue, nausea, pain/nerve pain, sores, easier bruising, breathing difficulties, an increased risk of heart failure, swelling at extremities, hair loss, and even changes in mood and behaviour.