Cancer therapy is a fast-changing field with new treatment schedules always being tested in clinical trials . Although new chemotherapeutic drugs are being developed, it is often the same standard drugs in new combinations or given on different schedules that make the difference between success and failure in destroying cancer cells .
So there are few hard and fast rules on how often drugs are given or how long treatment lasts. Apart from the ever-changing recommended treatments, every person is different, every tumor is different, and every chemotherapy program is tailored to fit the situation.
Just as an example, a cycle of therapy may consist of one drug being given every day for two weeks with other drugs being given on particular days in the two-week period. After a rest period to allow normal tissues to recover, the entire cycle might be repeated every few weeks for six months or longer.
The length of treatment varies with different treatment programs.
• For programs that may be able to cure certain forms of cancer, even if widespread, the therapy is typically
given for no more than about six months or up to a year in a few cases. This is true of Hodgkin's disease, some
lymphomas, cancer of the testis and adjuvant therapy for breast and colon cancer.
• Where a remission has been achieved in various forms of metastatic cancer, treatment will be given until the
maximum effect has been observed and then for a little while longer in an attempt to destroy hidden tumor cells.
If therapy is stopped—unmaintained remission—it may be a long time before the tumor begins to grow again
and more therapy is needed. But sometimes chemotherapy is continued indefinitely—maintained remission
until a relapse occurs, at which time the drug program will be changed.
