The administration of chemotherapy is one of the major forms of cancer treatment. Recent progress in the use of chemotherapeutic agents has evolved from an understanding of the basic mechanisms of tumor cell kinetics and the molecular and biochemical basis for individual and multidrug resistance patterns. These advances have led to the development of novel approaches to the administration of cancer chemotherapeutic agents. Nurses must remain knowledgeable about these concepts to understand the mechanisms underlying the administration of various combinations of cancer chemotherapy.