If you have just been diagnosed with cancer, you might be worried about the long road to recovery that is ahead of you, and you might be overwhelmed by the wealth of information that is out there about cancer and the different treatments for it. The treatment you will receive depends on the type of cancer you are diagnosed with. Here is everything you need to know about cancer treatments before you start your own course.
What are the different types of cancer treatments?
Cancer treatments change and develop over time, but there are many types of cancer treatment currently in use, and each works in a different way. These include:
- Chemotherapy is one of the most common forms of cancer treatment, and the majority of cancer patients will have some sort of chemotherapy before they are in remission. This involves a certain number of chemicals being placed into their bodies with the aim of killing cancer cells. This is often a grueling treatment, and chemotherapy can be given intravenously or in the form of an oral pill.
- Radiotherapy is another common cancer treatment that uses targeted radiation to kill cancer cells in a specific area of the body. The amount of radiation used can change depending on your treatment plan. If the dose of radiation used is quite high, you will only be able to have radiation in the same part of your body once.
- Immunotherapy encourages your immune system to work against the cancer cells within the body. This might be through stimulation of your immune system or by training the immune system to specifically target the cancerous cells. If you have skin cancer, you should find out more about potential melanoma immunotherapy today and try to find a clinic that provides this.
- Surgery is often the first treatment option that doctors will try, removing any lumps or cancerous growths in your body. They might then send these off for a biopsy which can give you a more accurate diagnosis. This might be followed by more scans to check whether they have removed all the cancer or whether it has spread.
How will your treatment be decided?
Everyone has different treatments for their cancer. This treatment course will be decided by your consultant and may include trials of certain treatments that are not given to everyone. You might also be able to discuss your treatment plan with your doctor to ensure that it is best for you and that you understand the details of it. Your treatment plan might also change to adapt to changes in your health and to stay in line with how the treatment is going.
Will you have more than one treatment?
Although some people will only have one type of treatment to eradicate their cancer, in the majority of cases, patients will endure a few treatments that will work alongside each other to make them well again. For instance, they might have a main treatment, which is followed by another form of cancer treatment in order to kill off any lingering cells that might spread and cause your cancer to come back over time.