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Chemotherapy: About this Treatment
How Chemotherapy May Be Used
Many people who have stages 1, 2, and 3 cancers have surgery, either to remove the tumor and a margin of healthy tissue. Our cancer care teams pair drug therapy with surgery in different ways:
- Before surgery: Neoadjuvant drug therapy can shrink tumors to make them easier to remove and to make surgery more successful. Sometimes, chemotherapy can shrink the tumor almost completely. If the pathologist (doctor who specializes in testing) cannot find any remaining cancer cells, this result is called a pathologic complete response.
- After surgery: We often use drug therapy as an adjuvant treatment to destroy any remaining cancer cells after surgery. Studies have shown that drug therapy can help you live longer and prevent or delay cancer from returning.
INTERESTED IN AN ONLINE SECOND OPINION?
The Stanford Medicine Online Second Opinion program offers you easy access to our world-class doctors. It’s all done remotely and you don’t have to visit our hospital or one of our clinics for this service. You don’t even need to leave home!
Visit our online second opinion page to learn more.
Our Clinics
Stanford Cancer Center provides a warm, supportive environment that enables patients and families to stay in one location for procedures and tests and focus on healing.
Palo Alto, CA 94304
Phone: 650-498-6000 Getting Here »
To schedule an appointment, please call: 888-888-8888
Learn More About Chemotherapy
Our Approach
About this Treatment
Learn about the conditions treated, risks, techniques, and types of Chemotherapy.
Patient Care Resources
Learn what to expect as you go through the early steps of your care.