Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy works by killing cells that divide quickly, which is one of the main characteristics of cancer cells. This means that it also harms cells that divide rapidly under normal conditions, such as those in the bone marrow, digestive tract, and hair follicles; this results in the most common side effects of chemotherapy, such as myelosuppression (lower blood cell production), mucositis (inflammation of the digestive tract lining), and alopecia (hair loss). Other applications for cytostatic chemotherapy agents (including those listed below) include the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as the prevention of transplant rejection (see immunosuppression and DMARDs)