Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer drugs that are given into a vein or by mouth (in pill form). These drugs enter your bloodstream and reach all areas of the body, which makes this treatment potentially useful for cancer that has spread (metastasized) to organs beyond the kidney.

Unfortunately, kidney cancer cells are usually resistant to chemotherapy, and there is no standard way to treat it with these drugs. Some drugs, such as vinblastine, floxuridine, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), capecitabine, and gemcitabine have been shown to help a small number of patients. Still, chemotherapy is often reserved for cancers in which targeted drugs and/or immunotherapy are not effective.

Possible side effects

Chemotherapy drugs work by attacking cells that are dividing quickly, which is why they often work against cancer cells. But other cells in the body, such as those in the bone marrow, the lining of the mouth and intestines, and the hair follicles, also divide quickly. These cells are also likely to be affected by chemotherapy, which can lead to side effects.

The side effects of chemotherapy depend on the type of drugs, the amount taken, and the length of treatment. Possible side effects can include:

• hair loss
• mouth sores
• loss of appetite
• nausea and vomiting
• increased chance of infections (due to low white blood cell counts)
• easy bruising or bleeding (due to low blood platelet counts)
• fatigue (due to low red blood cell counts)

These side effects are usually short-lived and go away after treatment is finished. There are often ways to lessen them. For example, drugs can be given to help prevent or reduce nausea and vomiting. Specific chemotherapy drugs may each cause specific side effects. .Ask your health care team about the side effects your chemotherapy drugs may cause.

Last Medical Review: 02/18/2009
Last Revised: 05/14/2009