Types of Cancer Treatments

Overview

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. When you need treatment for cancer, you have a lot to learn and think about. It is normal to feel overwhelmed and confused. But, talking with your doctor and learning about the types of treatment you may have can help you feel more in control.

Types of Cancer Treatment

Surgery

When used to treat cancer, surgery is a procedure in which a surgeon removes cancer from your body.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer cells.

Immunotherapy to Treat Cancer

Immunotherapy is a type of treatment that helps your immune system fight cancer.

Targeted Therapy

Targeted therapy is a type of cancer treatment that targets the changes in cancer cells that help them grow, divide, and spread.

Hormone Therapy

Hormone therapy is a treatment that slows or stops the growth of breast and prostate cancers that use hormones to grow.

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.

Precision Medicine

Precision medicine helps doctors select treatments that are most likely to help patients based on a genetic understanding of their disease.

 

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