what are the general treatment options for cancer

• Surgery.
• Radiation Therapy.
• Chemotherapy.
• Immunotherapy to Treat Cancer.
• Targeted Therapy.
• Hormone Therapy.
• Stem Cell Transplant.
• Precision Medicine.

Full Answer

What are five possible treatments for cancer?

Jan 25, 2014 · These include surgery as well as radiotherapy, which is the use of radiation to kill cancer cells or to control their spread or growth. Cancer that has metastasized, in …

What is the best natural cure for cancer?

Cancer treatments include surgery, radiotherapy and drug treatments (such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy or targeted cancer drugs). Find out about treatments and side effects.

What are some natural ways to fight cancer?

Nov 14, 2017 · Treatment options vary, depending on the type of cancer and how far it has grown and spread. The main types are surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

What are three ways to treat cancer?

Feb 03, 2022 · Different treatment options and sequences are considered for each stage of breast cancer. The links below will give you a general idea of the treatments your doctor may recommend depending on the stage of the breast cancer. These treatment options are not exact — your own treatment plan may be different, depending on your specific situation.

What is the treatment for cancer?

Radiation Therapy . Radiation therapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Learn about the types of radiation, why side effects happen, which ones you might have, and more.

How many types of cancer treatments are there?

There are many types of cancer treatment. The types of treatment that you receive will depend on the type of cancer you have and how advanced it is. Some people with cancer will have only one treatment. But most people have a combination of treatments, such as surgery with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.

What is the procedure that removes cancer from the body?

Surgery. When used to treat cancer, surgery is a procedure in which a surgeon removes cancer from your body. Learn the different ways that surgery is used against cancer and what you can expect before, during, and after surgery.

What is immunotherapy for cancer?

Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that helps your immune system fight cancer. This page covers the types of immunotherapy, how it is used against cancer, and what you can expect during treatment.

What is targeted therapy?

Targeted therapy is a type of cancer treatment that targets the changes in cancer cells that help them grow, divide, and spread. Learn how targeted therapy works against cancer and about common side effects that may occur.

What is stem cell transplant?

Stem cell transplants are procedures that restore blood-forming stem cells in cancer patients who have had theirs destroyed by very high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Learn about the types of transplants, side effects that may occur, and how stem cell transplants are used in cancer treatment.

What is precision medicine?

Precision Medicine. Precision medicine helps doctors select treatments that are most likely to help patients based on a genetic understanding of their disease. Learn about the role precision medicine plays in cancer treatment, including how genetic changes in a person's cancer are identified and used to select treatments.

What is the most common cancer treatment?

Any cancer treatment can be used as a primary treatment, but the most common primary cancer treatment for the most common types of cancer is surgery. If your cancer is particularly sensitive to radiation therapy or chemotherapy, you may receive one of those therapies as your primary treatment. Adjuvant treatment.

Why is cancer treated?

Why it's done. The goal of cancer treatment is to achieve a cure for your cancer, allowing you to live a normal life span. This may or may not be possible, depending on your specific situation. If a cure isn't possible, your treatments may be used to shrink your cancer or slow the growth of your cancer to allow you to live symptom free ...

How does the immune system fight cancer?

Immunotherapy. Immunotherapy , also known as biological therapy, uses your body's immune system to fight cancer. Cancer can survive unchecked in your body because your immune system doesn't recognize it as an intruder. Immunotherapy can help your immune system "see" the cancer and attack it. Hormone therapy.

Where does radiation come from?

Radiation treatment can come from a machine outside your body (external beam radiation), or it can be placed inside your body (brachytherapy). Bone marrow transplant. Your bone marrow is the material inside your bones that makes blood cells from blood stem cells.

What is adjuvant therapy?

Adjuvant treatment. The goal of adjuvant therapy is to kill any cancer cells that may remain after primary treatment in order to reduce the chance that the cancer will recur. Any cancer treatment can be used as an adjuvant therapy. Common adjuvant therapies include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hormone therapy.

What is the goal of surgery?

Surgery. The goal of surgery is to remove the cancer or as much of the cancer as possible. Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy. Radiation therapy uses high-powered energy beams, such as X-rays or protons, to kill cancer cells. Radiation treatment can come from a machine outside your body ...

How does radiofrequency ablation work?

Radiofrequency ablation. This treatment uses electrical energy to heat cancer cells, causing them to die. During radiofrequency ablation, a doctor guides a thin needle through the skin or through an incision and into the cancer tissue.

How to remove malignant tumors?

Further still, malignant tumors themselves can be removed by surgical means as well. There's actually more than one reason for this. The obvious one is that you just want to get rid of it. However, other reasons for removing a malignant tumor include: 1 To prevent or mitigate its spread 2 To avoid having it compress or harm a vital structure such as a gland or blood vessel 3 To relieve an obstruction of an organ 4 To relieve pain

What is the use of radiation to kill cancer cells?

In a very similar fashion, radiotherapy may be utilized in treating cancer. Radiotherapy, or radiation therapy , is the use of radiation to kill cancer cells or to control their spread or growth.

Can you have surgery for malignant tumors?

One of the options for treating malignant or benign tumors is by way of surgery. As a general rule, it's best to avoid surgery if you have another viable option. But in some cases, surgery is the best option or maybe the only one!

Preparing for treatment and life afterwards (prehabilitation)

There are things you can do to help you feel more in control of your physical and mental health when preparing for treatment. In the hospital, preparing for treatment is also called prehabilitation or prehab.

Surgery

Surgery is one of the main treatments for many types of cancer. Find out about when and why you might have it and what to expect before and after your operation.

Radiotherapy

Find out about cancer treatment with radiotherapy, including external radiotherapy, internal radiotherapy, side effects, radiotherapy for symptoms and follow up after treatment.

Cancer drugs

Find out about individual cancer drugs, cancer drug combinations, possible side effects and how to cope with them.

Stem cell and bone marrow transplants

Bone marrow or stem cell transplant are treatments for some types of cancer. You have them with high dose chemotherapy and sometimes radiotherapy.

Targeted cancer drugs

Targeted cancer drugs work by ‘targeting’ those differences that help a cancer cell to survive and grow.

What is personalised medicine?

Personalised medicine involves using information about a person’s cancer to help diagnose, treat and find out about how well treatment is working.

What are the treatments for cancer?

Treatment options vary, depending on the type of cancer and how far it has grown and spread. The main types are surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

What is the treatment for cancerous tumors?

Briefly, the three most common treatments are: Surgery. It may be possible to cut out a cancerous (malignant) tumour. Chemotherapy. This is a treatment that uses anti-cancer medicines to kill cancer cells, or to stop them from multiplying. There are various different types of medicines used for chemotherapy.

How to treat cancer with chemotherapy?

More recently, other treatments have been introduced which include: 1 Stem cell transplant. High-dose chemotherapy may damage bone marrow cells and lead to blood problems. However, if you receive healthy bone marrow after the chemotherapy then this helps to overcome this problem. 2 Hormone therapy. This is the use of medicines to block the effects of hormones. This treatment may be used for cancers that are hormone-sensitive such as some cancers of the breast, prostate and womb (uterus). 3 Immunotherapy. Some treatments can boost the immune system to help to fight cancer. More specific immunotherapy involves injections of antibodies which aim to attack and destroy certain types of cancer cells. Research is underway to try to find vaccines that would stimulate your own immune system to make antibodies against cancer cells. 4 Gene therapy. This is a new area of possible treatments. Research is underway to find ways of blocking, repairing or replacing abnormal genes in cancer cells. 5 Special techniques. These can sometimes be used to cut off the blood supply to tumours. The tumour then dies.

How does immunotherapy help cancer?

Immunotherapy. Some treatments can boost the immune system to help to fight cancer. More specific immunotherapy involves injections of antibodies which aim to attack and destroy certain types of cancer cells.

How does cancer treatment work?

If a cure is not realistic, with treatment it is often possible to limit the growth or spread of the cancer so that it progresses less rapidly . This may keep you free of symptoms for some time. Treatment may aim to ease symptoms in some cases.

Can cancer be cured?

With modern medicines and therapies, many cancers can be cured, particularly if they are treated in the early stages of the disease. (Doctors tend to use the word remission rather than the word cured. Remission means there is no evidence of cancer following treatment. If you are in remission, you may be cured.

What does it mean when you are in remission?

Remission means there is no evidence of cancer following treatment. If you are in remission, you may be cured. However, in some cases a cancer returns months or years later. This is why doctors are sometimes reluctant to use the word cured.) Treatment may aim to control the cancer.

What do people with cancer need?

People with cancer need support and information, no matter what stage of illness they may be in. Knowing all of your options and finding the resources you need will help you make informed decisions about your care.

What are the best doctors for cancer?

Doctors on your cancer treatment team might include: 1 A thoracic surgeon: a doctor who treats diseases of the chest with surgery 2 A surgical oncologist: a doctor who uses surgery to treat cancer 3 A radiation oncologist: a doctor who treats cancer with radiation therapy 4 A medical oncologist: a doctor who treats cancer with medicines such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy 5 A gastroenterologist: a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal (digestive) system

Why are clinical trials important?

Clinical trials are one way to get state-of-the art cancer treatment. In some cases they may be the only way to get access to newer treatments. They are also the best way for doctors to learn better methods to treat cancer. Still, they're not right for everyone.

What is systemic therapy?

These are called systemic therapies because they travel through your whole system, allowing them to reach cancer cells almost anywhere in the body. Depending on the type of esophageal cancer, several different types of drugs might be used. Chemotherapy for Esophageal Cancer. Targeted Drug Therapy for Esophageal Cancer.

What is the name of the doctor who treats cancer?

A thoracic surgeon: a doctor who treats diseases of the chest with surgery. A surgical oncologist: a doctor who uses surgery to treat cancer. A radiation oncologist: a doctor who treats cancer with radiation therapy. A medical oncologist: a doctor who treats cancer with medicines such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy.

Is treatment information given here official policy of the American Cancer Society?

The treatment information given here is not official policy of the American Cancer Society and is not intended as medical advice to replace the expertise and judgment of your cancer care team. It is intended to help you and your family make informed decisions, together with your doctor.

What is the number to call for cancer treatment?

Call our National Cancer Information Center at 1-800-227-2345 and speak with one of our trained specialists. Palliative Care. Find Support Programs and Services in Your Area.

What do people with cancer need?

People with cancer need support and information, no matter what stage of illness they may be in. Knowing all of your options and finding the resources you need will help you make informed decisions about your care.

What kind of doctor treats cancer?

Based on your treatment options, you might have different types of doctors on your treatment team. These doctors could include: A radiation oncologist: a doctor who treats cancer with radiation therapy. A medical oncologist: a doctor who treats cancer with medicines such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy. A surgical oncologist: a doctor who uses ...

Why is it important to discuss all treatment options with your doctor?

It’s important to discuss all treatment options, including their goals and possible side effects, with your doctors to help make the decision that best fits your needs. You may feel that you need to make a decision quickly, but it’s important to give yourself time to absorb the information you have learned. Ask your cancer care team questions.

What happens after cancer is found?

A key goal of treatment is to save the muscles of the anal sphincter so you can control your bowels and stool so your overall quality of life is not affected. Your treatment options depend on many factors.

Why are clinical trials important?

Clinical trials are one way to get state-of-the art cancer treatment. In some cases they may be the only way to get access to newer treatments. They are also the best way for doctors to learn better methods to treat cancer. Still, they're not right for everyone.

Is treatment information given here official policy of the American Cancer Society?

The treatment information given here is not official policy of the American Cancer Society and is not intended as medical advice to replace the expertise and judgment of your cancer care team. It is intended to help you and your family make informed decisions, together with your doctor.

What is a colorectal surgeon?

A colorectal surgeon: a doctor who uses surgery to treat diseases of the colon, rectum, and anus. You might have many other specialists on your treatment team as well, including physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, nutrition specialists, social workers, and other health professionals. Health Professionals Associated with Cancer Care.

What kind of doctor treats cancer?

You may have different types of doctors on your treatment team, depending on the stage of your cancer and your treatment options. These doctors may include: 1 A urologist: a surgeon who specializes in treating diseases of the urinary system and male reproductive system 2 A radiation oncologist: a doctor who treats cancer with radiation therapy 3 A medical oncologist: a doctor who treats cancer with medicines like chemotherapy

What is the number to call for cancer treatment?

Call our National Cancer Information Center at 1-800-227-2345 and speak with one of our trained specialists. Palliative Care. Find Support Programs and Services in Your Area.

Why are clinical trials important?

Clinical trials are one way to get state-of-the art cancer treatment. In some cases they may be the only way to get access to newer treatments. They are also the best way for doctors to learn better methods to treat cancer. Still, they're not right for everyone.

What is a radiation oncologist?

A radiation oncologist: a doctor who treats cancer with radiation therapy. A medical oncologist: a doctor who treats cancer with medicines like chemotherapy. You might have many other specialists on your treatment team as well, including physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, nutrition specialists, social workers, ...

How to treat testicular cancer?

Surgical methods have been refined, and doctors know more about the best ways to use chemotherapy and radiation to treat different types of testicular cancer. In some cases, more than one of type of treatment might be used.

What is complementary medicine?

Complementary methods refer to treatments that are used along with your regular medical care. Alternative treatments are used instead of a doctor’s medical treatment.

Is it a good idea to seek a second opinion?

If time permits, it is often a good idea to seek a second opinion. A second opinion can give you more information and help you feel more confident about the treatment plan you choose. Where you're treated is important. There's no substitute for experience.