When starting chemotherapy, does it take time to build up in the system to start working?

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EllenChuangMD (Physician - Oncology - Hematology/Oncology (Verified) ) - 08 / 03 / 2012

1 vote(s) by murray
Chemotherapy starts to work as soon as it gets inside cancer cells. Chemotherapy drug levels peak in the blood soon after the infusion, are taken up by tissues and cells, and then fall to undetectable levels as the drug is metabolized and eliminated from the body. The drug will have been completely eliminated from your body by the time the next infusion is given; this insures that drug levels do not build up with each infusion, otherwise there may be too much toxicity. Because the chemotherapy is not in the blood for very long, and not all cancer cells may take up the chemotherapy or be sensitive to the chemotherapy at all times, chemotherapy has to be given for multiple cycles.

Hormonal therapies such as aromatase inhibitors and faslodex, can take a few months to build up in the body, so they can take longer to start working.
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member4923 (Survivor (5 - 10 years)) - 08 / 04 / 2012

I just read this article about the effects of fasting before and during chemotherapy



http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2836202/?tool=pubmed
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