Familiar to many people as “chemo,” this type of treatment uses chemicals to cure, control, or ease the symptoms of cancer. We deliver these chemicals intravenously — meaning into your veins through an IV or through a port that’s placed under your skin and connects to a large vein. While radiation and surgery treat a specific area of your body, chemotherapy works throughout your whole system. It targets cells that grow and divide quickly, which is a characteristic of cancer cells.