What are the primary goals of chemotherapy?

The primary goals of chemotherapy are centered on managing cancer effectively, which includes the elimination of cancer cells, reduction of tumor size, and prevention of cancer spread. This approach aims to control the disease, allowing for potential cures or improved survival rates. Chemotherapy works by attacking rapidly dividing cells, a characteristic of cancerous cells, which makes it a crucial component in the treatment of various cancer types.

While enhancing the immune response and increasing patient vitality can be beneficial, these outcomes are more closely associated with immunotherapies and supportive care rather than the primary aims of chemotherapy itself. Relief from pain and improved overall health is also vital, but these are more focused on supportive measures and palliative care rather than direct treatment objectives of chemotherapy. Targeting only malignant cells is an ideal scenario; however, chemotherapy often affects healthy tissues as well, which is a limitation of its current methodologies. Thus, the comprehensive goals of chemotherapy primarily revolve around controlling cancer through eradication, size reduction, and metastasis prevention.