Text written in Basque and translated automatically by Elia without any subsequent editing. SEE ORIGINAL

Treatment with chemotherapy

This week we will answer the question that Jon Pérez from Aretxabaleta has asked us in our health section. Jon has sent us a very interesting question: probably a question that we all, at some point, have asked ourselves. Jon wants to know how chemotherapy works, and his question says: If chemotherapy kills both bad and good cells, why don't we die? Well, here's the answer.

As you know, the cells in our body are constantly multiplying. However, not all cells multiply at the same rate: there are some cells that multiply faster than others.

Chemotherapy mainly acts on cells with a fast rate of proliferation, and one of the main characteristics of cancer cells is that they proliferate very quickly.

The human body also has cells that reproduce as quickly as cancer cells, such as hair, skin... and, as is evident, chemotherapy also acts on them. That is, chemotherapy works on all cells with rapid proliferation, regardless of whether it is a cancer cell or not.

What about cells with a slower reproductive rate? Does chemotherapy affect them? Yes, but much less.