Cancer Treatments
There are countless cancer treatments out there, from chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, hormone therapy, stem cell transplant, and precision medicine.
Below, The Patient Story community shares their experiences with each type.
Patients should consult their doctors and medical experts about what might help their case. You can also check with the National Cancer Institute, which provides its most recent research.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy or chemo is used to stop or slow down growth of cancer cells. It can cure or treat cancer, control cancer, and/or help ease the symptoms of cancer (palliative care).
Chemo FAQ
Patient Stories on Chemo
Common Side Effects
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy in high doses destroys or slows down the growth of cancer cells by damaging the cells’ DNA. When the DNA is damaged enough, the cells will stop dividing and die. The body then breaks down and removes those damaged cells.
Radiation Therapy FAQ
Patient Stories on Radiation Therapy
Radiation Oncologist
Surgery
One of the most common ways of locally treating cancer, in particular solid tumors, is through surgery. Surgeons, medical doctors, are trained to remove cancer from you body during operations.
Cancer surgery FAQs and patient stories
Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy is also known as hormonal therapy, hormone treatment, or endocrine therapy. It is used to either slow or stop the growth of cancers that grow using hormones.
Hormone Therapy FAQ
Patient Stories on Hormone Therapy
Targeted Therapy
Targeted therapy is a type of cancer treatment also known as precision medicine and molecularly-targeted drugs/therapies. This type of treatment refers to drugs that stop the growth and spread of cancer by disrupting or interfering with “molecular targets.” These molecules are involved in the cancer growth and spread.
Targeted therapy FAQs and patient stories
Immunotherapy
Your immune system fights infections and diseases in your body. Immunotherapy is a kind of biological therapy or treatment that uses your immune system to fight cancer.
Immunotherapy FAQ and patient stories
Transplants
Though chemotherapy and radiation therapy are effective in killing cancer cells, these treatments also kill the bone marrow cells. Stem cell transplants are used to enable the patient to create new blood cells again.