Not all cancers are the same.
There are over 200 different types of cancer,
each named after the tissue or organ where they develop.
And even patients with the same type of cancer
might have different types of tumor.
So there isn’t just ONE type of cancer therapy either.
Doctors adjust treatment
to each individual’s specific situation depending on:
• the type of cancer
• the biological properties of the cancer cells
• the spread of the disease
• and the general state of health of the cancer patient.
Knowing the therapeutic goal is important
when choosing the treatment:
• Is the goal to cure the patient of cancer?
If so, this is referred to as “curative therapy”.
• Or is the cancer at an advanced stage so a cure is no longer possible?
If so, palliative therapy can be used
to stop the cancer from growing.
Therapies may not just have benefits for patients;
they may also involve risks and side effects.
This needs to be weighed up by the doctor and patient together
before deciding on the treatment.
There are many conventional methods available
for treating cancer.
They are generally used in combination:
• Surgery
In most cases the goal is to remove a localized cancer
but may also in rare cases be to remove individual metastases.
• Chemotherapy inhibits the growth of cancer cells.
It can be used, for example, to shrink tumors to a size
that allows them to be surgically removed,
or to kill off any cancer cells left after surgery
to increase the chances of recovery.
If metastases are present, palliative chemotherapy
can inhibit the progression of the disease.
• Radiotherapy uses radiation to kill off cancer cells.
It is mostly carried out pre- or post-operatively
to improve the chances of recovery.
Palliative radiotherapy may be carried out
to inhibit the growth of metastases
and relieve debilitating symptoms.
• Targeted therapies use drugs
to target biological features of the tumor
which play a role in the growth of the cancer.
The treatment only works in cancers
which have these specific features.
So they are only used in certain patients.
There are various types of immunotherapy, but they all activate
the body’s own immune system to fight cancer cells.
They are mostly used to treat advanced stages of cancer
where studies have shown them to be effective.
Supportive treatments include
treatments for alleviating symptoms or side effects.
They may include, for example, medication for
• nausea
• or pain,
• but also nutritional therapy,
• physiotherapy
• or psychotherapy.
In short:
Every cancer is different.
So an individual treatment plan is created for each cancer patient
from the range of treatment methods available.
This involves carefully weighing up
the benefits and risks of the treatment.