Which type of medicine kills cancer cells in the body, but also kills healthy cells?
Question
Which type of medicine kills cancer cells in the body, but also kills healthy cells?
Solution
The type of medicine that kills cancer cells but can also harm healthy cells is known as chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy works by targeting rapidly dividing cells, a characteristic of cancer cells; however, because some healthy cells in the body also divide quickly (such as those in hair follicles, the lining of the gut, and bone marrow), they can also be affected by the treatment. This is why chemotherapy often comes with a range of side effects, including hair loss, nausea, and an increased risk of infections due to its impact on healthy cells.
Overall, while chemotherapy is a powerful tool in the fight against cancer, its effects on healthy cells underscore the importance of carefully managing treatment to minimize side effects while effectively targeting cancer cells.
Similar Questions
Suggest how chemotherapy may sometimes be ineffective at killing leukaemia cells.
What causes some cancer cells to avoid going through apoptosis and avoid self-destruction?
Which of the following drugs is most likely to inhibit a cancer cell in S phase?Question 12Select one:DocetaxelDacarbazinePemetrexedEpirubicin
Which term refers to programmed cell death?a.cell death b.necrosisc.apoptosis
Cancer deaths in women are caused mostly by which of the following cancersovarian colon breastlung
Upgrade your grade with Knowee
Get personalized homework help. Review tough concepts in more detail, or go deeper into your topic by exploring other relevant questions.