When you think of cancer treatment, the first thing that may come to mind is chemotherapy. That’s because chemotherapy has been a cancer-fighting mainstay since it was invented in the 1940s.
In this video, learn what chemotherapy is, how it works, and how it's commonly used today in the treatment of cancer.
Dr. Saxena is an oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian.
References
American Cancer Society. (2025). Chemotherapy.
Amjad, M. T., et al. (2023). Cancer chemotherapy. StatPearls.
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Written by:
Lauren Smith, MALauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.
Reviewed by:
Sanjai Sinha, MDSanjai Sinha, MD, is a board-certified physician with over 20 years of experience. He specializes in internal medicine.
