Current cancer treatments are helping people live longer, fuller lives. There are many types of cancer treatment. Some people with cancer may only receive one type of treatment. While most may have a combination of treatments, such as surgery with chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
A healthcare provider will recommend treatments based on your unique diagnosis, including your type of cancer, stage, and treatment goals.
The general goal of cancer treatment is to stop or slow the progression of the disease. In some cases, the goal of treatment is to eliminate the cancer.
There are more than 100 types of cancer, not including subtypes. Each type of cancer requires a unique treatment approach.
Healthcare providers may recommend one or a combination of cancer treatments, including:
- Surgery- the goal is to remove all cancer cells and some of the surrounding healthy tissue
- Radiation therapy uses high doses of radiation to destroy cancerous tumors. Types of radiation therapy include:
- External beam radiation therapy (EBRT)
- Internal radiation therapy
- Hyperthermia therapy
- Chemotherapy- uses chemotherapy drugs to kill cancer cells
- Hormone therapy blocks or reduces hormones that fuel cancer cell growth
- Immunotherapy helps the immune system identify and destroy cancer cells
- Targeted therapy- interferes with specific processes that allow some cancer cells to thrive
- Ablation therapy- uses extreme hot or cold energy to kill cancer cells. Types of ablation therapy include:
- Cryoablation
- Laser therapy
- Electrosurgery
- Bone marrow or hemopoietic stem cell transplant- replaces immature blood cells that are or could become cancerous with healthy cells. The two main types of stem cell transplants include:
- Autologous stem cell transplant
- Allogenic stem cell transplant
- Clinical trials are studies that test the safety and effectiveness of new cancer treatments
Cancer treatment usually involves a main treatment and additional treatments. These treatments include:
- Primary treatment is the main cancer treatment. The most common primary cancer treatment for tumors that haven’t spread is surgery
- Adjuvant therapy is an additional therapy given after your primary treatment to help prevent or reduce the risk of cancer coming back
- Neoadjuvant therapy is a treatment received before primary treatment
Cancer treatment may involve surgery or other procedures that target cancer cells, including:
- Open surgery
- Laparoscopic surgery
- Precision technologies
Cancer therapy also involves medicines that you may take, which can include:
- Orally
- Topically
- Intravenously (IV)
- Injection
A healthcare provider may use words like “local” or “systemic” to describe the cancer treatments you may need.
Local treatments remove tumors or destroy cancer cells in a specific part of our body, or “locally”.
Systemic treatments destroy cancer cells that have broken off from the primary tumor and spread. This includes advanced cancers that have spread or metastasized to distant parts of the body.
Cancer treatment may be a one-time surgery or may require many treatments. Ask your healthcare provider what your course of treatment will involve.
To schedule an appointment with an oncologist at our MediSys Health Network Cancer Center, or to learn more about our cancer care program, please call (718) 206-6742.
All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.