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Oncology (Cancer)/Hematology
Treatment
Treatment choices for the person with cancer depend on the stage of the tumor, that is, if it has spread and how far.
Treatment options may include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and immunotherapy:
- Surgery is the oldest form of treatment for cancer. Before the discovery of anesthesia and antisepsis (methods such as sterilization of instruments to prevent infection), surgery was performed with great discomfort and risk to the patient. Today surgery offers the greatest chance for cure for many types of cancer. About 60% of people with cancer will have some type of surgery, or operation.
- Radiation therapy uses high-energy particles or waves, such as x-rays or gamma rays, to destroy or damage cancer cells.
- Chemotherapy is the use of medicines (drugs) to treat cancer. Systemic chemotherapy uses anticancer drugs that are usually given into a vein or by mouth. These drugs enter the bloodstream and reach all areas of the body, making this treatment potentially useful for cancer that has spread.
- Hormone Therapy is treatment with hormones, drugs that interfere with hormone production or hormone action, or surgical removal of hormone-producing glands to kill cancer cells or slow their growth.
- Immunotherapy is the use of treatments that promote or support the body's immune system response to a disease such as cancer.
Alternative and Complementary Therapies
Unproven therapy is any therapy that has not been scientifically tested and approved. Use of an unproven therapy instead of standard therapy is called alternative therapy. Some alternative therapies have dangerous or even life-threatening side effects. For others, the main danger is that a patient may lose the opportunity to benefit from standard therapy. Complementary therapy, on the other hand, refers to therapies used in addition to standard therapy. Some complementary therapies may help relieve certain symptoms of cancer, relieve side effects of standard cancer therapy, or improve a patient's sense of well-being. The ACS recommends that patients considering use of any alternative or complementary therapy discuss this with their health care team.
What is Cancer? | Prevention and Risk Factors
Signs and Symptoms | Treatment