Chemotherapy, adjuvant

Chemotherapy, adjuvant: Chemotherapy (drug therapy) that is given after tumor surgery.</P> The idea underpinning adjuvant chemotherapy is that the toxic drugs are more effective after the main tumor has been removed and any cancer that remains is in very small amounts (microscopic metastases).</P> For example, in a case of colon cancer, the primary tumor would first be resected (removed) from the colon.

Then the adjuvant chemotherapy would then be carried out.

The chemotherapy drugs might be given intravenously and instilled directly into the abdomen.