 Watch Chemotherapy Video
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy plays a very important role in the treatment of cancer. Different treatments or therapies to enhance the immune system have been used for decades. Strategies for the immunotherapy of cancer can be divided into active and passive approaches. Until a few years ago, most of the treatments were non-specific. Through research and clinical studies more specific treatments for cancer are presently available. The development of monoclonal antibodies with relatively unique anti-tumor specificity and little or no toxic side effects have made this approach more and more popular.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the most common method of treating cancer, with over half of people diagnosed with cancer being treated through chemotherapy. There are several different types of chemotherapy drugs including vein injection, injection into a body cavity, or the drug can be taken orally in the form of a pill. Some people are frightened by chemotherapy because it is known to have bad side effects. Some side effects associated with chemotherapy include a low red and white blood cell count, low platelet count, nausea, vomiting, hair loss, and fatigue. Today, many of these side effects can be prevented or controlled which can allow for much easier treatment.
 If you and your doctor decide that chemotherapy is right for you, your doctor will develop a treatment plan specifically designed for you. You could receive chemotherapy daily, weekly, or monthly dependent upon the type of cancer, its stage of advancement, and your overall health.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation Therapy is the careful use of high-energy radiation to treat cancer. This treatment can be used to both cure cancer and to relieve pain in cancer patients. Radiation therapy damages cancer cells, which stops them from growing and dividing. Side effects of radiation therapy include a decrease in white blood cells, fatigue, skin reactions, and loss of appetite. While side effects can be unpleasant, they can usually be treated or controlled.
If you and your doctor decide that radiation therapy is right for you, your doctor will develop a treatment plan. Radiation is usually given in a hospital or clinic 5 days a week. Depending on if you receive internal or external radiation therapy, you may have to stay in the hospital or your therapy could be an outpatient procedure.
 Surgery
Surgery can be used by itself or in combination with other treatment such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, or biological therapy in order to treat cancer. Surgery can be used to prevent, diagnose, determine the stage, relieve symptoms, or remove the cancer. When removing the cancer, your doctor will go inside your body and remove the cancer along with some healthy tissue in order to ensure that all of the cancer is removed. Depending on the type of cancer and surgery you undergo, you may have to stay in the hospital for a few days following surgery.
As with all cancer treatment, there are some risks associated with surgery. If you and your doctor decide that surgery is right for you, you will be informed of what to do before and after surgery in order to reduce any risk.
Biological Therapy
Biological therapy works with the immune system in order to help fight cancer or control side effects from other cancer treatments you are receiving. While treatments such as chemotherapy attack cancer directly, biological therapy helps our immune system to fight cancer. Doctors aren’t sure exactly what biological therapy achieves but some things it may do are stop or slow the growth of cancer cells, make it easier for your immune system to destroy or get rid of cancer cells, or keep the cancer from spreading to other body parts.
 Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy is not a first-line cancer treatment, but a treatment that is used in the combination with other cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. Hormone therapy is used to treat cancers that are dependent on hormones to grow and spread. Patients who receive this type of treatment take drugs or undergo surgery to reduce the levels of certain hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone. Types of cancer treated by hormone therapy include breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, and prostate cancer. Side effects of hormone therapy can include temporary or permanent infertility. Some more advanced cancers can become resistant to hormone therapy and begin to grow again after a period of time. In this case, your doctor may have to switch you to a non-hormonal therapy.
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