The drugs used in chemotherapy are very powerful. The line between a therapeutic and a toxic dose is so fine and the consequences of the wrong dose so severe that general physicians without special training don't prescribe them. So chemotherapeutic agents are usually given only by oncologists, usually medical or pediatric oncologists (specialists in the medical treatment of cancer) and hematologists (specialists in diseases of the blood), although some surgical and gynecological oncologists also give chemotherapy.
Delivery Routes and Methods The drugs can be delivered to your circulatory system by many different routes. They can be taken orally in capsule, pill or liquid form. They can be injected through a syringe into a vein, artery or muscle. Or they can be given intravenously through an IV drip device.
Single or multiple drugs can be injected directly into organs such as the liver, using a small pump to ensure a constant flow. An external pump might be used, although internal pumps can now be surgically implanted and remain in the body for several weeks or months or permanently ( see What Happens in Surgery ).
Each delivery route has its advantages and disadvantages.
• Intravenous For intravenous delivery, you have to have a vein that can be entered easily and without causing
a lot of discomfort. This isn't always easy. Some people naturally have small veins. Sometimes the veins get
