Can chemotherapy shrink a tumor or just stop it from spreading?
- davorkust
- Apr 9
- 2 min read
Chemotherapy is one of the most common and well-known forms of cancer treatment, but patients often have doubts about its actual role: can chemotherapy really shrink a tumor, or does it just keep it under control? In this article, we explain how chemotherapy works, what patients can expect, and how its effectiveness is measured.
Chemotherapy (or "chemo" for short) uses drugs to kill cancer cells or prevent them from multiplying. The drugs can be given intravenously, orally, or, less commonly, topically (e.g., directly into a body cavity). The goal of treatment can vary, depending on the type of cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient's general health. Read more about chemotherapy in a separate article .
Two basic roles of chemotherapy:
1. Tumor shrinkage
In some cases, the goal of chemotherapy is to actively reduce the size of the tumor . This is called curative therapy. A common example of such an approach is neoadjuvant chemotherapy – when it is used before surgery to make the tumor operable, or to make the planned surgery less radical. In metastatic disease, although a complete cure is rarely achieved, chemotherapy can significantly reduce the burden of the disease, or tumor mass, and improve quality of life.
2. Stopping the spread of disease
In other cases, chemotherapy is used to prevent the cancer from spreading further – either throughout the body or locally. This is often called disease control . In such cases, the goal is not necessarily a cure, but rather to prolong life and relieve symptoms.
How do we know if chemotherapy is working?
We wrote about this topic in more detail in a separate article .
The effect of chemotherapy is most often monitored by radiological imaging (CT, MRI, PET/CT) and is assessed according to the so-called RECIST criteria :
Complete response – the tumor is gone
Partial response – the tumor has shrunk (e.g. more than 30%)
Stable disease – no significant change
Disease progression – the tumor has grown or spread
It is important to know that even when the tumor is not visibly reduced, chemotherapy can slow its spread and prevent the appearance of new metastases – which is also a significant success.
If you have questions about your treatment, talk to your oncologist. An open and honest conversation helps you understand what to expect and how to best cooperate during treatment.
Is tumor reduction always the goal?
Not necessarily. Sometimes doctors just want to "keep the disease under control." Also, in patients with fragile health, sometimes milder therapy is used with the goal of reducing symptoms rather than aggressively shrinking the tumor.
Conclusion: Chemotherapy can both shrink the tumor and stop it from spreading.
Ultimately, chemotherapy can shrink a tumor, prevent its spread, and relieve symptoms , depending on how and when it is administered. Each treatment plan is individualized and based on the specific characteristics of the disease and the patient.
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