At Siteman Cancer Center, specialists from different fields provide a multidisciplinary approach that considers every treatment for cancer available — including chemotherapy treatment. WashU Medicine medical oncologists at Siteman deliver chemotherapy as part of a fully coordinated care plan designed around you: your cancer type, your biology, your goals. From the most common regimens to the most advanced and specialized approaches, your care team brings together the expertise, research, and technology for your best path forward.
Chemotherapy at Siteman Cancer Center is not a one-size-fits-all treatment. It might be used before surgery to shrink a tumor, after surgery to eliminate remaining cancer cells, in combination with radiation therapy, or delivered directly to a targeted area of the body.
WashU Medicine medical oncologists at Siteman are leaders in both standard and emerging chemotherapy approaches through clinical trials, and as one of the nation’s most active cancer research centers, they are often the same physicians who helped develop the treatments you will receive.
Our Siteman care coordinators – oncology-trained nurses who help with scheduling, finding the right specialist, and guidance – can help you through the process.
Call us directly or submit a form, and we will call you back.
Why Choose Siteman
When it comes to chemotherapy, where you receive care matters. Siteman Cancer Center combines the most advanced treatment approaches, a nationally recognized research program, and specialists who have spent their careers focused on your specific cancer type. The result is care that is more precise, more personalized, and backed by more options than most patients will find anywhere else in the region.
Research and Clinical Trial Leadership
WashU Medicine physicians and researchers at Siteman lead more than 600 active therapeutic clinical trials — many of which involve chemotherapy, either alone or in combination with other treatments. For patients, that means access to investigational therapies not available at most cancer centers. Often these therapies are used in combination with chemotherapy that is already FDA approved, and in other studies, we are investigating new uses for chemotherapy that could not be accessed elsewhere. Ask your care team if a clinical trial is the right fit for you, or search available trials here.
Clinical trials are research studies that help us find new ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer. If you have a rare or complex diagnosis or your treatment path seems uncertain, you might qualify for a clinical trial.
Our team will help you find a study that is right for you. Call us to speak with a Siteman care coordinator.
Safety and Quality Standards
Chemotherapy at Siteman meets the rigorous standards set by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS). These nationally recognized standards govern how chemotherapy is ordered, prepared, and administered, and cover everything from staff training to patient education, drug preparation, and monitoring for side effects. Siteman also follows the clinical practice guidelines set by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and other entities that promote our continuous improvement of clinical care. Learn more about QOPI certification standards.
Precision and Personalization
At Siteman, your oncologist does not treat cancer in general, they specialize in treating your specific type of cancer. Disease-specific WashU Medicine oncologists at Siteman focus their entire careers on one cancer type, which means they stay current on every treatment development, clinical trial, and new approach for your diagnosis. This depth of focus directly translates into more precise, more personalized care for you.
Advanced Approaches You Won’t Find Everywhere
WashU Medicine oncologists at Siteman are pioneers in chemotherapy approaches that require significant expertise and infrastructure:
Blood-brain barrier breakthrough:
Most chemotherapy drugs cannot cross the brain’s protective blood-brain barrier, making brain tumors especially difficult to treat with medication. WashU Medicine researchers at Siteman developed a technique using laser surgery to temporarily open the blood-brain barrier, creating a therapeutic window of opportunity to deliver chemotherapy drugs to the tumor.
In a pilot study, WashU Medicine neurosurgeon Eric C. Leuthardt, MD [link], and colleagues found the laser treatment kept the blood-brain barrier open for four to six weeks, longer than previous trials. This means patients with glioblastoma and other brain tumors may have chemotherapy as a treatment option.
Chronotherapy:
WashU Medicine physicians at Siteman are the first and only researchers studying how the timing of chemotherapy delivery can affect its effectiveness and tolerability. Their landmark chronotherapy research examines how the body’s natural rhythms can be used to improve outcomes and reduce side effects.
Scalp cooling:
Hair loss during chemotherapy is a deeply personal concern for many patients. Siteman offers scalp cooling as a comfort option. Patients wear a specially designed cap during chemotherapy that chills the scalp, slowing blood flow to hair follicles and limiting the amount of chemotherapy that reaches them, helping reduce hair loss during treatment. Scalp cooling is available at all Siteman locations.
NCI Recognition
Siteman Cancer Center is the only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Missouri and the region. It has held the NCI’s highest rating of “Exceptional” since 2015 — a reflection of the rigor of our research-based environment that aims to continuously improve patient outcomes. That designation means patients at Siteman are offered therapies, including forms of chemotherapy, through clinical trials that are not available everywhere.
Your Second Opinion at Siteman
Siteman wants to be your first choice for cancer care, but that might not always be possible. If you have received a cancer diagnosis, started care somewhere else, or are a physician seeking specialized care for your patient, ask us about a second opinion. You can start the process. To make it easy, our care coordinators guide scheduling for yourself or your patient.
Chemotherapy for Adult and Pediatric Patients
WashU Medicine medical oncologists at Siteman treat both adults and children with cancer. While the core principles of chemotherapy are the same for all of our patients, how it is used for pediatric patients requires distinct expertise in dosing, development, and long-term effects on growing bodies.
Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital is a dedicated pediatric oncology program where specialists focus entirely on the needs of children with cancer. They work in close collaboration with the chemotherapy team to develop plans that are both effective against the cancer and safe for a child’s developing organs and systems.
Pediatric patients may receive chemotherapy for leukemia, lymphoma, brain tumors, neuroblastoma, sarcoma, and other childhood cancers. Your child’s care team will walk you through every step and address concerns specific to young patients — including school, activity, long-term growth, and quality of life.
What Is Chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy uses medicines to attack and kill cancer cells, or to stop them from growing and dividing. It is one of the most widely used and most studied forms of cancer treatment, and it can play many different roles depending on your diagnosis and goals.
For some patients, chemotherapy is the primary treatment. For others, it works alongside surgery, radiation, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy as part of a more complex plan. Your care team will explain exactly how chemotherapy fits into your treatment.
Ways Siteman leverages chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is not a single approach. It’s a versatile treatment that can be altered to fit your specific needs within your comprehensive care plan. Depending on your cancer, WashU Medicine oncologists at Siteman might recommend one or more of the following:
- Before surgery (neoadjuvant therapy): to shrink a tumor so it is easier to remove or becomes operable
- After surgery (adjuvant therapy): to eliminate cancer cells that may remain after surgery
- Chemoradiation: chemotherapy combined with radiation therapy, used together for greater effect in certain cancer types
- HIPEC (Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy): a specialized form of chemotherapy delivered directly into the abdominal cavity during surgery, used for select cancers that have spread within the abdomen
- High-dose chemotherapy: intensive regimens used before stem cell transplantation, primarily for blood cancers
- Regional chemotherapy: chemotherapy delivered to a specific region of the body, reducing systemic side effects
- Hepatic Arterial Infusion Pump (HAIP) therapy: a specialized pump surgically implanted to deliver chemotherapy drugs directly to tumors in the liver through the hepatic artery for advanced colorectal and liver cancers.
What to expect during a chemotherapy appointment
Frequently Asked Questions About Chemotherapy
Your care team at Siteman will review your diagnosis, cancer type and stage, overall health, and genomic or molecular profile to identify the most appropriate approach. WashU Medicine medical oncologists at Siteman specialize in your specific cancer type, so your treatment plan comes from a physician who has deep, focused expertise in your diagnosis. You will not be left to navigate these decisions alone.
Chemotherapy at Siteman combines proven protocols with access to advanced and specialized delivery methods not available at most cancer centers. Your oncologist is both a clinician and a researcher, often shaping the very guidelines other centers follow. You also have access to a large portfolio of clinical trials, multidisciplinary tumor boards, and a team of specialists who coordinate your care from every angle.
For many patients, the combination of expertise, infrastructure, and research access only available at Siteman Cancer Center means more options, and more precise treatment, than they would find elsewhere in the region.
Side effects depend on the specific drugs used, the dose, and your individual health. Common side effects include fatigue, nausea, hair loss, decreased appetite, and changes in blood counts. Your care team will monitor you throughout treatment and help manage side effects as they arise.
At Siteman, support services — including nutritional counseling, scalp cooling, symptom management, and social work — are integrated into your care. Your oncologist and nursing team will review expected side effects before you begin and give you clear guidance on what to watch for and who to contact.
If at any point you experience severe or unexpected symptoms, your care team is available to help. You will never face a side effect alone.
Before chemotherapy begins, you will meet with your WashU Medicine oncologist at Siteman to review your treatment plan, answer questions, and confirm your schedule. You may need lab work, imaging, or additional consultations prior to starting.
Chemotherapy is typically given in cycles, with treatment followed by a rest period to allow your body to recover. Sessions may last from a few minutes to several hours depending on the drugs and method of delivery. Most chemotherapy at Siteman is administered on an outpatient basis, though some patients receive inpatient treatment depending on the regimen.
Our oncology-trained care coordinators — nurses who help with scheduling and navigation — can help you through the process. Call us directly or submit a form, and we will call you back.
The length of your treatment depends entirely on your cancer type, stage, and the goals of your plan. Some regimens last weeks; others extend for months. Your oncologist will walk you through a realistic timeline before you begin and will continue to reassess the plan based on how your cancer is responding.
Pediatric chemotherapy requires specialized expertise that accounts for children’s developing organs, smaller body sizes, and the long-term effects of treatment on growth and health. At Siteman Kids at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, a dedicated pediatric oncology team works closely with the chemotherapy specialists to plan and deliver care that is safe, effective, and developmentally appropriate.
Dosing, regimen selection, and supportive care differ significantly for children. Siteman’s pediatric oncologists are focused exclusively on childhood cancers, giving young patients and their families the benefit of deep, specialized experience.
Most chemotherapy regimens at Siteman are covered by insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid. If cost is a concern, our financial wellness team will review your coverage, identify financial assistance programs, and explain all of your options. Cost should never be a barrier to receiving care here, and you will not face this question alone.
Learn more about our financial services.
Yes. Siteman leads more than 600 active therapeutic clinical trials, and many involve chemotherapy — either testing new drugs, new combinations of treatment, or new ways of delivering treatment. For some patients, a clinical trial offers access to an investigational approach that may be more effective than the current standard of care. Your care team will review your diagnosis and let you know if a trial is a good fit. You can also search active clinical trials at Siteman.
Not every cancer responds to chemotherapy the same way, and some cancers change over time. At Siteman, your care team is continuously monitoring your response and thinking ahead. If your current approach is not achieving the results you need, your oncologist will work with a multidisciplinary team — this could include a formal tumor board meeting — to determine the best next step. That might mean a different chemotherapy regimen, a combination with another treatment, or a clinical trial. You always have options, and your team will help you understand each one.
Our Siteman care coordinators – oncology-trained nurses who help with scheduling, finding the right specialist, and guidance – can help you through the process.
Call us directly or submit a form, and we will call you back.
