Cancer Treatments

There are three main treatments most commonly used in treating cancer, all of which are mainly to destroy or take away the cancerous cells, alongside medication and other supplements.

These are:

Chemotherapy

Utilises medication to destroy cancerous cells, especially when the cancer is spreading
May have severe side effects, which can be reduced by medication
May be combined with radiation therapy and surgery

Radiotherapy

Applies radiation to break down the cancerous cells, stopping them from growing and spreading
May be the only form of treatment used, or with surgery, for tumors that have not yet spread

Surgery

Used mostly for localised tumors, which have not spread or touched vital organs like the brain

Other Therapies

There are a number of other therapies available, with new methods being developed all the time. Here are some of them:

Hormone Therapy
Utilised in the treatment breast and prostate cancer, in conjunction with chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Biological Therapy
Makes use of proteins to generate the immune system into the production of more lymphocytes or white blood cells to destroy cancer cells. May be used in conjunction with chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy.

Other specialized treatments may be available. Your doctor may talk to you about these treatments if they are an option.