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What is chemotherapy? Our new animation

Published on: 7 December 2018

Our new animation explains how cancer develops and how the drugs in chemotherapy work to destroy cancer cells

Still from chemo video

Chemotherapy is the most common treatment for lymphoma; it can be used alone or with other treatment such as targeted therapies or radiotherapy. The aim of chemotherapy depends on the exact type of lymphoma you have. Some types of lymphoma can be cured with chemotherapy, while others can be effectively controlled with chemotherapy.   

It can often be hard to understand what is going on when you are start treatment, with different drug names and other medical terms being used which you might never have heard before. We want to make this time less stressful by offering an easy and quick way for you to understand the science behind chemotherapy and how it works within the human body.

We have designed this new animation to explain how chemotherapy works and to help you understand some of the reasons behind the way it is given. The video covers points such as why you have cycles of chemotherapy, why combination regimens (combinations of different drugs) are used, and why chemotherapy causes side effects. 

Remote video URL

We always strive to make our information as relatable and accessible as possible for everyone affected by lymphoma. We have been using more animations recently as they are a simple, visual way to explain a complex subject.