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Treatment Options

Treatment options vary by disease type, location, and extent of metastasis. Just as there are many different types of cancer, there are many types of treatments. The most common cancer treatments are surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy. It is common for patients to receive more than one form of treatment during the course of their illness. It is important to discuss your treatment options in detail with your physician.

Ask questions about how long each treatment takes, how long your treatment regimen will last, and how often you will have to get treatment. Discuss possible side effects that could occur during and after treatments. Other questions to consider:

  • How will your doctor determine whether your treatment is working?
  • Are you a willing and qualified candidate for participation in a clinical trial?
  • What is the expected outcome for the prescribed treatment?

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a group of medicines used to treat cancer. While surgery and radiation therapy target specific areas of the body, chemotherapy works systemically (throughout the body). Chemotherapy can also destroy cancer cells that have metastasized to parts of the body away from the original tumor site. Learn More.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is an innovative and advanced form of targeted cancer therapy that boosts your body’s own immune system and defense mechanisms to fight cancer at the cellular level. Unlike traditional cancer treatments that target the cells in tumors, immunotherapy drugs boost the body’s immune system to attack cancer cells to stop or slow their growth or limit the cancer’s ability to spread. Learn More.

Precision Medicine

Precision medicine in cancer treatment, or precision oncology, is also called “personalized medicine” and is a rapidly evolving approach to cancer treatment and prevention that allows physicians to select treatments that are most likely to help patients based on a genetic understanding of their disease. Learn More.

Radiation Therapy 

Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy X-rays to stop cancer cells from growing and multiplying. About half of all people with cancer receive radiation treatment, and for many individuals, radiation is the only cancer treatment they need. Learn More. 

Targeted Therapies

Targeted therapies are an advanced form of cancer treatments that more precisely fight your cancer. Targeted therapies attack the genes, proteins, or tissue environment that contributes to your cancer’s growth and survival. Learn More.

Surgery

Surgery can be useful to diagnose cancer, determine its stage of development, and to treat it. One common type of surgery that may be used to help with cancer diagnosis is a biopsy. Learn More.