Treatment

More information

There are many types of cancer and many treatment options. A treatment plan should be developed based on several factors: type of cancer, stage or how much it has spread, location, and the general health of the patient.

Patients and families often ask about the prognosis (the likely outcome or course of disease). It is important to understand that the prognosis is only a prediction based on statistics. No two patients are alike. Patient responses to treatment will vary because of many factors, such as stage, age, and general health. It is important to talk about treatment options with your doctor so that you make an informed treatment decision together.

Most of the time, the best treatment plan is a combination of options. The following is a list of possible treatment options:


Surgery

Surgery is an operation to remove the cancer. Sometimes the surrounding tissue or lymph nodes are also removed if the cancer has spread.

  • Surgery (American Cancer Society)

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill the cancer. How the drug is given will vary based on the kind of therapy. Drugs are most often given intravenously (IV) into a vein. Sometimes the drugs are given by injection into a muscle or under the skin, or as a pill and taken by mouth. Chemotherapy may be given alone, along with other types of therapy, or to relieve symptoms of disease. Generally, chemotherapy is given in cycles. An example of a chemotherapy cycle is a treatment period followed by a recovery period.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy is given a couple of different ways. One way radiation therapy can be given is through a machine that aims the rays at the cancer. Another way is to place radioactive material inside of the body (directly in or near the tumor) using needles, seeds, wires, or catheters. Radiation therapy may be given alone, along with other types of therapy, or to relieve pain.

Bone marrow or stem cell transplantation

Bone marrow or stem cell transplantation replaces damaged or destroyed stem cells from the cancer, or other therapies, with healthy stem cells (immature cells that mature into blood cells). These stem cells may be a person’s own stem cells that were saved prior to beginning treatment or donated by another person.

Biological therapy

Biological therapy (immunotherapy) can help the body’s immune system fight the cancer or help protect the body from the side effects of other cancer therapies.

Hormone therapy

Hormone therapy is used for cancers that require hormones for their growth. This therapy may include the use of drugs to stop the production of hormones or change the way they work. It can also include the removal of organs responsible for producing the hormones, such as ovaries or testicles.