Definitions

The most accurate definition for definitive chemotherapy is upfront chemotherapy used as the main treatment of cancer. However, the term is sometimes broadly used to describe any form of upfront chemotherapy, whether used as a supplement to other therapies or as the predominant treatment.

Other Types

When upfront or, broadly speaking, definitive chemotherapy is used to kill micrometastases, this is sometimes known as neoadjuvant chemotherapy. When upfront chemotherapy is used to improve the system's response to radiation, it is often known as additional chemotherapy.

Features

Definitive chemotherapy can be administered intravenously, orally or by way of a shot in the muscle, depending partly on the combination of chemicals used and the dosage.

Effects

Like all chemotherapy, definitive chemotherapy can have uncomfortable and serious side effects, including hair thinning or hair loss, decrease in fertility, nausea and vomiting, and a decrease in immune system performance.

Misconception

Definitive chemotherapy is not the same as definitive cancer therapy. Definitive cancer therapy is the combination of several forms of treatment, often including chemotherapy and surgery, to attempt to definitively kill and remove various forms of cancer.

Source:

World Journal of Urology: A Review of "Upfront" Chemotherapy in Invasive Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Bladder

MedicineNet: Chemotherapy Definition