Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSurgeriesProcedures and TherapiesPrescriptionsOver-the-Counter TherapiesHome Remedies and LifestyleComplementary/Alternative MedicineFrequently Asked QuestionsNext in Cancer GuideEverything to Know About Cancer
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Surgeries
Procedures and Therapies
Prescriptions
Over-the-Counter Therapies
Home Remedies and Lifestyle
Complementary/Alternative Medicine
Frequently Asked Questions
Next in Cancer Guide
Treatment options forcancerdepend on the specific type and stage of cancer and individual factors such as your age, possible side effects, and other conditions you may have. Local treatments include surgery and radiation therapy, targeting a specific tumor. Systemic treatments target cancer that has spread or may spread, and include chemotherapy, targeted therapies, hormonal therapies, and immunotherapy.
The treatment approach will be chosen with your goals in mind. These may be eradicating the cancer, reducing the risk of recurrence, extending your life, or improving the quality of your life through palliative care.
AMELIE-BENOIST /BSIP / Getty Images
With a few exceptions, such as blood-related cancers like leukemia, surgery offers the best chance to cure a cancer or at least significantly reduce the chance that it could recur.
While surgery may be used to diagnose cancer or stage it, in treatment, surgery may be used to:
Surgery may also be done to prevent cancer in certain individuals with strong risk factors and/or evidence of a precancerous condition. For example, some people who have a very high genetic risk for developing breast cancer may elect to have a preventive mastectomy.
Risks and Side Effects
Special Surgical Techniques
Advances in surgical techniques, such as the option of lumpectomy versus the radical mastectomy of the past, are allowing surgeons to remove tumors with fewer complications and a faster recovery time.
The term minimally invasive surgery is used to describe techniques that offer the same ability to remove a tumor, but with less damage to normal tissue. An example is the use of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery to remove lung cancer, in contrast to the thoracotomies done routinely in the past.
Robotic surgery is another example of a special surgical technique that may be used, though there are many others. Laser surgery entails the use of high-energy radio waves to treat cancer. Electrosurgery is done with the use of high-energy electron beams, and cryosurgery uses a cold source like liquid nitrogen to freeze tumors.
Specialist-Driven Procedures and Therapies
These options may be used alone or in tandem with other treatment options, depending on your case.
Chemotherapy
The goal of chemotherapy may be:
Chemo drugs are designed to treat rapidly growingcells.The forms of cancer that were historically the most aggressive and rapidly fatal are sometimes now the most treatable and possibly curable with the use of chemotherapy. In contrast, chemotherapy is less effective for slow-growing, or “indolent” tumors.
Most often, chemotherapy drugs are used in combination—something termedcombination chemotherapy. Individual cancer cells are all at different points in the process of reproducing and dividing. Using more than one drug helps to treat cancer cells at whichever point they are at in the cell cycle.
Risks and Side Effects of Chemotherapy
Several “normal” types of cells in the body grow rapidly, just like cancer cells. Since chemotherapy attacksanyrapidly growing cells (e.g., those in the hair follicles, digestive tract, and bone marrow), side effects can occur.
These side effects vary depending on the drug used, the dosages, and your general health, but may include:
Thankfully, treatments for managing many of the common chemotherapy side effects have been developed. Most of these side effects resolve shortly after your final chemotherapy session, but there are sometimeslong-term side effects of chemotherapy. Examples include heart damage with some of these drugs and a slightly increased risk of secondary cancers (such as leukemia) with others.
The benefits of therapy often far outweigh any of these potential concerns, but you should discuss the pros and cons of all of your options thoroughly with your healthcare provider.
Overview of Chemotherapy
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is a treatment that uses high-energy X-rays (or proton beams) to destroy cancer cells. Significant improvements have been made in these therapies in recent years, minimizing the damage to normal tissues around a cancer.
Radiation may be given externally, in which radiation is delivered to the body from an outside similar to an X-ray machine, or internally (brachytherapy) in which radioactive material is either temporarily or permanently injected or implanted in the body.
As with other cancer treatments, radiation therapy is used for different reasons and with different goals. These goals may be:
Radiation therapy may be given in several different ways as well:
Risk and Side Effects of Radiation Therapy
The risks of radiation therapy depend on the specific type of radiation as well as the location where it is delivered and the doses used. Short-term side effects of radiation therapy often include redness (like a sunburn), inflammation of the area which receives radiation (such asradiation pneumonitiswith radiation to the chest), and fatigue.Cognitive symptoms are also common in people who receive whole-brain radiation.
Long-term side effects of radiation therapymay include scarring in the region where it is used as well as secondary cancers.
Stem Cell Transplants
Stem cell transplants, in contrast to a solid organ transplant like a kidney transplant, replace stem cells in the bone marrow. These hematopoietic stem cells are the beginning cells that can differentiate into all of the blood cells of the body including red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplants
Cancer therapy can include many specialized medications, and this is an area of science that’s experiencing many new developments.
Targeted Therapies
Targeted therapies are medications that are designed to target cancer cells specifically. As such, they are often less harmful to normal cells. Many of the more recently approved drugs for cancer are targeted therapies, and more are being evaluated in clinical trials.
In addition to being called targeted therapies, these treatments may also be referred to as “molecularly targeted drugs” or “precision medicine.”
There are four primary ways in which these targeted therapies work against cancer. They may:
Targeted therapies differ from chemotherapy in a few important ways.
Targeted TherapiesSpecifically target certain structures or processes associated, in general, with the malignant cell but that can be also present in normal cells.Often cytostatic, meaning they stop the growth of (but do not kill) cancer cellsChemotherapyAttacksanyrapidly dividing cells, normal or cancerousUsually cytotoxic, meaning that they kill cells
Targeted TherapiesSpecifically target certain structures or processes associated, in general, with the malignant cell but that can be also present in normal cells.Often cytostatic, meaning they stop the growth of (but do not kill) cancer cells
Specifically target certain structures or processes associated, in general, with the malignant cell but that can be also present in normal cells.
Often cytostatic, meaning they stop the growth of (but do not kill) cancer cells
ChemotherapyAttacksanyrapidly dividing cells, normal or cancerousUsually cytotoxic, meaning that they kill cells
Attacksanyrapidly dividing cells, normal or cancerous
Usually cytotoxic, meaning that they kill cells
There are two basic types of targeted therapies:
Risks and Side Effects of Targeted Therapies
Angiogenesis inhibitors, since they limit the formation of new blood vessels, may have the side effect of bleeding.
Your healthcare provider may do molecular profiling (gene profiling) to determine if a tumor is likely to respond to a targeted therapy.
Hormonal Therapy
Hormone treatments—also called endocrine therapy—block this stimulating effect of the hormones to stop the growth of a cancer. This may be done through an oral pill, via an injection, or through a surgical procedure with a goal to:
Hormone treatments may also be used to prevent cancer. An example of cancer prevention would be the use of tamoxifen in someone at high risk of developing breast cancer with the hope that the treatment will reduce the risk that cancer will develop in the first place.
Oral medications may be used to block the production of a hormone, or to block the ability of the hormone to attach to cancer cells. But surgery may also be used as a hormonal therapy, too. For example, surgical removal of the testicles may significantly reduce the production of testosterone in the body and removal of the ovaries (oophorectomy) may inhibit the production of estrogen.
Risks and Side Effects of Hormonal Therapy
Many of the side effects from these treatments, such as anti-estrogens, androgen deprivation therapy, and surgery, are related to the absence of the hormones ordinarily present in your body. For example, removing the ovaries, and thus decreasing estrogen, can result in hot flashes and vaginal dryness.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is an exciting new approach to treating cancer and was labeled the Association for Clinical Oncology advance of the year in 2016.
Some types of immunotherapy include:
Risks and Side Effects of Immunotherapy
Common side effects of immunotherapy are often what you would expect from having an overactive immune system. Allergic reactions are common with some of these drugs, and medications to limit these reactions are often used simultaneously with an immunotherapy infusion.
Inflammation is common, and there is a saying that the side effects of immunotherapy drugs are often things that end with “itis.“For example, pneumonitis refers to an inflammation of the lungs related to these drugs.
Every Cancer Treatment Started As a Clinical TrialIn 2015, there were six new drugs (targeted therapies and immunotherapy drugs) approved for the treatment of lung cancer. These drugs were approved because they were found superior to the best treatments available at the time. One year earlier, the only people who could receive these newer and better treatments were those who were involved in clinical trials.While aphase I trial(when a treatment is first tried in humans) used to often be considered a “last-ditch” approach for cancer patients, today, these same trials may offer the only available effective treatment for a cancer.According to the National Cancer Institute, people with cancer should consider clinical trials as they make decisions about their cancer care.
Every Cancer Treatment Started As a Clinical Trial
In 2015, there were six new drugs (targeted therapies and immunotherapy drugs) approved for the treatment of lung cancer. These drugs were approved because they were found superior to the best treatments available at the time. One year earlier, the only people who could receive these newer and better treatments were those who were involved in clinical trials.While aphase I trial(when a treatment is first tried in humans) used to often be considered a “last-ditch” approach for cancer patients, today, these same trials may offer the only available effective treatment for a cancer.According to the National Cancer Institute, people with cancer should consider clinical trials as they make decisions about their cancer care.
In 2015, there were six new drugs (targeted therapies and immunotherapy drugs) approved for the treatment of lung cancer. These drugs were approved because they were found superior to the best treatments available at the time. One year earlier, the only people who could receive these newer and better treatments were those who were involved in clinical trials.
While aphase I trial(when a treatment is first tried in humans) used to often be considered a “last-ditch” approach for cancer patients, today, these same trials may offer the only available effective treatment for a cancer.
According to the National Cancer Institute, people with cancer should consider clinical trials as they make decisions about their cancer care.
Busting Myths About Clinical Trials
Over-the-Counter (OTC) Therapies
Your medical team may recommend various over-the-counter products for the relief of symptoms or side effects of your medications. For example, OTC pain relievers would be the first choice before prescription pain medications.
It is always important that you report any OTC medications, supplements, and herbal remedies to your healthcare team. There is a risk of interactions with your prescription medications and other forms of treatment (such as bleeding if aspirin is taken before surgery).
Some products will also not be advised during radiation or chemotherapy as they may increase side effects.
A healthy diet and moderate exercise can improve well-being and sometimes even survival with cancer.Unfortunately, some of the treatments available for cancer can add to—rather than reduce—your ability to get good nutrition, and you might find it hard to get motivated to exercise.
Whereas in the past nutrition was widely ignored in oncology, many oncologists now consider a good diet a part of cancer treatment.Good nutrition can help people tolerate treatments better and may possibly have a role in outcomes.Cancer cachexia, a syndrome involving weight loss and muscle wasting, may be responsible for 20% to 30% of cancer deaths.This further reinforces the importance of a healthy diet.
Talk to your healthcare provider about your nutritional needs during your treatments. Some cancer centers have nutritionists on staff who can assist you, and some offer classes on nutrition and cancer as well.
Most oncologists recommend getting the nutrients you need primarily through food sources and not supplements. While some cancer treatments may cause vitamin deficiencies, there is a concern that somevitamin and mineral supplements may interfere with cancer treatments.
Staying active while you go through treatment can be a challenge, but it has significant benefits in many conditions. Simply going for a walk, swimming, or taking an easy bike ride will help.
Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM)
Many cancer centers provide integrative therapies for cancer. There is little evidence to suggest that any of these treatments can cure cancer or slow its growth, but there is positive evidence that some of these may help people cope with the symptoms of cancer and cancer treatments.
Some of these integrative therapies include:
Again it should be noted that there are noalternative treatmentsthat have been found effective in treating cancer directly.
Benefits and Techniques of Oncology Massage
A Word From Verywell
With the multitude of options now available to treat cancer, it can be challenging to choose the treatments that are best for you. Have open conversations with your healthcare provider about your options, and consider seeking support from others who are facing a similar diagnosis, either in your community or online. They can share their experience with various treatments.
Most importantly, hang on to hope. Cancer treatments—and survival rates—are improving. It’s estimated that there are 18 million cancer survivors in the United States alone, and that number is growing.Not only are more people surviving cancer, but many are thriving, with a new sense of purpose and appreciation of life after their disease.
It depends on the cancer and the stage at which it’s treated. Researchers have not discovered a treatment approach that can cure all of the many types andstagesof cancer. This doesn’t mean an individual’s cancer cannot becured, however, which some healthcare providers regard as cancer that is in remission for five years or more.
So many factors are involved in the price of cancer treatment that it’s nearly impossible to predict what you’ll pay. It depends a lot on whether or not you have health insurance and, if so, how much it will cover. If you don’t have health insurance or need tosubsidizeyour treatment, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists multiple options for such help on its website.
Aclinical trialcan be a game-changer for someone whose current treatment is not as effective as hoped. According to the National Cancer Institute, whether you’re eligible to join one depends on a variety of factors:Your ageYour medical historyHow healthy you are overallThetype of cancertype you haveThe stage of your cancerThe treatment or treatments you’ve received so farWhether your cancer has certain genetic changes
Aclinical trialcan be a game-changer for someone whose current treatment is not as effective as hoped. According to the National Cancer Institute, whether you’re eligible to join one depends on a variety of factors:
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