GED Science Practice

The primary purpose of chemotherapy in treating cancer is to harm cancer cells while preserving healthy cells to the greatest extent possible. Chemotherapy works by targeting rapidly dividing cells, which is a characteristic of cancer cells. These drugs aim to interrupt the cancer cell's ability to grow and divide, leading to cell death or slowing the progression of the cancer.

While chemotherapy does also affect some normal, healthy cells that divide rapidly (such as those in the hair follicles, bone marrow, and lining of the digestive tract), the overall intent is to maximize damage to cancerous cells while minimizing harm to the patient. This treatment is often part of a broader oncology strategy that may include surgery and radiation therapy, focusing on achieving the best possible outcome for the patient.

The other options do not align with chemotherapy's primary goal; for instance, while chemotherapy can impact the immune system, boosting it is not its main function. Similarly, reducing inflammation is not a primary mechanism of chemotherapy, nor is it intended to eliminate healthy cells as a goal.