Duration. Usually chemotherapy treatment lasts for 3 to 6 months. The length of chemotherapy depends on the duration of the chemotherapy cycle determined by your Oncologist, as well as the frequency and number of chemo cycles. Your cancer may be treated with either a single drug or a combination of drugs. These cancer drugs may all be given to you on a single day or over several consecutive days. Sometimes they will be given to you continuously as an outpatient. How long you get chemo depends on the type of cancer you have, your treatment goals, and how the cancer and your body work with the drugs.
What is a chemo cycle? Chemotherapy treatment will be scheduled to take place in repeat sessions, called cycles. These cycles may repeat weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. Usually, a cycle is defined in monthly intervals. For example, two bi-weekly chemotherapy sessions may be classified as one cycle. Chemo is usually given with breaks between treatment cycles. The breaks give your body time to rebuild healthy new cells and this allows you to get your strength back.