Systemic Therapy

Systemic treatment is any medication that travels through your body in the bloodstream to find, damage or destroy cancer cells. The types of systemic therapy are chemotherapy, immunotherapy, anti-hormonal, or targeted therapies. These can be given via intravenous (IV), injection, or in pill form.

The Systemic treatment and Immunotherapy booklets have information on topics such what the treatment is, what to expect, how to manage side effects, and other important information. Some treatments include both chemotherapy and immunotherapy drugs, so it is important that patients review information for both types of treatment. 

It may take several treatments before your doctor can determine whether the treatment is working. The treatment is typically continued if there is a benefit, and you can tolerate the side effects. Some immunotherapy treatments have a defined end point.