DISEASES EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
Treatment
Cancer treatment can include different options, depending on the type of cancer and how advanced it is.
Localized treatment. Localized treatment usually involves using treatments like surgery or local radiation therapy at a specific area of the body or tumor.
Systemic treatment. Systemic drug treatments, such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, can affect the entire body.
Palliative treatment. Palliative care involves relieving health symptoms associated with cancer, such as trouble breathing and pain.
Different cancer treatments are often used together to remove or destroy as many cancerous cells as possible.
The most common types of treatment are:
Surgery
Surgery removes as much of the cancer as possible. Surgery is often used in combination with some other therapy in order to make sure all of the cancer cells are gone.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a form of aggressive cancer treatment that uses medications that are toxic to cells to kill rapidly dividing cancer cells. It may be used to shrink the size of a tumor or the number of cells in your body and lower the likelihood of the cancer spreading.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy uses powerful, focused beams of radiation to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy done inside of your body is called brachytherapy, while radiation therapy done outside of your body is called external beam radiation.
Immunotherapy (biological therapy)
Immunotherapy uses your body’s own immune system to attack cancer cells. These therapies help your antibodies recognize the cancer, so they can use your body’s natural defenses to destroy cancer cells.
Hormone therapy
Hormone therapy removes or blocks hormones that fuel certain cancers to stop cancer cells from growing. This therapy is a common treatment for cancers that may use hormones to grow and spread, such as certain types of breast cancer and prostate cancer.
Targeted drug therapy
Targeted drug therapy uses drugs to interfere with certain molecules that help cancer cells grow and survive. Genetic testing may reveal if you are eligible for this type of therapy. It may depend on the type of cancer you have and the genetic mutations and molecular characteristics of your tumor.