Combined with radiotherapy
Chemoradiation — chemotherapy that sensitises the tumour while radiation treats it — is the curative backbone for many head & neck, oesophageal, rectal, lung and cervical cancers.
Treatments
Chemotherapy reaches cancer
Chemotherapy reaches cancer
wherever it hides.
Chemotherapy is systemic treatment — anti-cancer drugs that travel through the whole body to kill cancer cells. It can be used alone, in combination, or alongside surgery, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, hormonal therapy or immunotherapy — with the goal, drug and duration set by your oncologist for your specific cancer and stage.
CyclesGiven with rest periods for recovery
Neo/AdjBefore or after surgery, by design
1Coordinated plan across all your treatments
Image · placeholderInfusion suite — day therapy chairs at the centre
Image · placeholderIllustration — systemic drugs circulating through the body
Chemotherapy · What it is
Systemic treatment, in plain language.
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells anywhere in the body. Its aim depends on the type and stage of cancer, whether it has spread, and your overall health — sometimes cure, sometimes control, sometimes shrinking a tumour so another treatment works better.
It's usually administered in cycles, with breaks between them so your body can recover and rest. It may be given before surgery (neoadjuvant) to shrink a tumour or gauge how it responds — or after surgery (adjuvant) to eradicate residual cancer cells.
Because chemotherapy is systemic, normal cells are affected too — which is why side effects occur, and why your team runs investigations before you start, monitors you closely through treatment, and manages effects actively rather than leaving you to endure them.
Chemotherapy · Who is it for
Cancers and situations where Chemotherapy can help.
Chemotherapy remains a foundation of modern cancer treatment — most powerful when sequenced deliberately with everything else.
Before or after surgery
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy shrinks tumours to make surgery better; adjuvant chemotherapy clears residual cells after it.
Advanced disease
For cancer that has spread, chemotherapy — alone or with immunotherapy or targeted therapy — controls disease and protects quality of life.
Chemotherapy · How it works
Assess, prepare, treat, monitor.
A chemotherapy course is a supervised rhythm — every cycle gated by checks that confirm your body is coping.
Image · placeholderPre-treatment assessment with the oncologist
Fitness assessment
A series of investigations and examinations before starting confirms you're fit and safe to undergo chemotherapy.
Image · placeholderPort-a-cath illustration
Preparation
If your veins are difficult to access, a port-a-cath — a small device placed in the chest — may be recommended for comfortable intravenous administration.
Image · placeholderInfusion in progress at the day suite
Treatment cycles
Drugs are given on a set schedule with rest periods between cycles. The team monitors closely for adverse effects during each session.
Image · placeholderReviewing blood counts before the next cycle
Blood tests & reviews
Regular blood tests between cycles ensure your body is coping, with doses adjusted and side effects managed proactively.
Chemotherapy · What to expect
Plan ahead — then let us carry the load.
Side effects vary by drug and person: hair loss, nausea, lowered immunity, anaemia and fatigue are the commonest. They happen because chemotherapy affects normal cells too — and almost all are manageable with modern supportive care. Speak openly with your oncologist about anything you experience.
Planning ahead helps: in the first few days after each cycle you may not manage everything you usually do. Consider engaging family and friends for daily chores, and arranging a reduced workload at work around cycle days.
Your AARO team coordinates chemotherapy within your whole plan — so radiation, surgery and systemic therapy reinforce each other rather than simply queueing up.
Image · placeholderPatient with a family member in the day-therapy lounge
Chemotherapy · Cost & insurance
Is Chemotherapy covered?
Chemotherapy drugs on Singapore's Cancer Drug List are claimable under MediShield Life and Medisave within treatment-specific limits, and Integrated Shield Plans cover listed indications.
We provide a written cost estimate at consultation — for the full course, not just the first cycle — before any treatment begins. Our care coordinator can verify coverage with your insurer in advance.
Image · placeholderAARO specialists at the Centre for Stereotactic Radiosurgery
Chemotherapy · Your specialists
Meet Dr David Tan→
Who delivers chemotherapy at AARO.
Systemic therapy at AARO is planned and supervised by our oncology team — Dr Jonathan Teh and Dr David Tan are dual-trained in chemotherapy and radiotherapy, so the person sequencing your drugs understands your radiation plan from the inside.
Dr Daniel TanSRS · SBRT · Brain · Spine · Prostate
Dr Jonathan TehGU · Head & Neck · GI · Sarcoma · Paediatric
Dr David TanGynae · GI · Hepatobiliary · Lung
Dr Michelle TsengBreast · Gynae · Paediatric
Been told you need chemotherapy?
Book a consultation. We'll explain the goal, the schedule, the side effects and how it fits with everything else — in plain language.