Cancer is a serious illness that can be treated in a variety of ways. Surgery is the most common primary treatment for the most common types of cancer, but radiation therapy and chemotherapy may also be used. Rush cancer experts discuss the different treatments available, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, laser therapy, hormonal therapy, and supportive care. Chemotherapy is one of the most commonly used treatments for advanced cancer.
It can also be used to relieve symptoms and is often combined with other treatments as part of a larger treatment plan. Immunotherapy is one of the most promising treatments for advanced cancer in patients whose cancer meets certain criteria. Supportive care can be an effective complement to standard treatment and help minimize the physical and emotional stress of cancer treatment. If your cancer is not responding to treatment, ask your doctor if there is an expert in your type of cancer that you can see.
Immunotherapy treatments can work on different types of cancer and can be effective in treating even the most advanced and difficult to treat cancers. Radiation therapy can be used as a primary treatment alone or in combination with other treatments to try to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells and reduce the size of tumors. Medications, which are given in pill or IV form, kill cancer cells or prevent cancer from continuing to grow. Treatments for cancer include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, as well as newer techniques such as interventional radiology and immunotherapy. Advanced cancer may describe cancer that continues to grow despite treatment, has spread to other parts of the body, caused secondary tumors, or has recurred after a period of remission.
