Cancer Treatment

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer drugs to treat cancerous cells. Chemotherapy reaches all parts of the body, not just the cancer cells. More than one drug may be given at one time. Chemotherapy may also be used in combination with surgery and radiation. It can be used to cure cancer, or relieve symptoms.

Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are research studies that try to find better ways to prevent, diagnose, or treat cancer. Many of the standard treatments for cancer today were once tested in a clinical trial. The NCI's Clinical Trials Cooperative Groups are researchers at many institutions who jointly develop and conduct cancer treatment clinical trials.

Complimentary and Alternative Cancer Treatments
Alternative treatments are those proposed as an alternative to the standard treatment for cancer. Complimentary therapies are treatments proposed in addition to standard treatments. Complementary therapies are often provided alongside the standard. Therapies discussed in this section include: diet-nutrition-lifestyle changes, mind-body interventions, bioelectromagnetic applications, alternative systems of medical practice, manual healing, pharmacological and biological treatments, and herbal medicine.

Hormonal Therapy for Breast Cancer
Hormonal therapies are called systemic treatments because they work on the whole body to control cancer. Systemic treatments aim to destroy any cancer cells that could have spread outside the breast or armpit area but cannot be detected.

Immunotherapy: Growth Factors, Momoclonal Antibodies, Cancer Vaccines
Several web sites that specialize in immunotherapy

Ostomies and Wound Care
An ostomy is a surgically created opening in the body for the discharge of body wastes when a person has lost the normal function of the bladder or bowel. Such operations include colostomy, ileostomy and urostomy. The surgery allows for normal bodily wastes to be expelled through a new surgical opening called a stoma. Most persons with ostomies must wear special pouches over the stoma.

Psychosocial Issues
Several web sites that specialize in psychosocial issues

Radiation
Several web sites that specialize in radiation.

Skeletal Wellness
This website assists with the recovery and maintenance of quality of life in patients with advanced cancers

Surgery
Surgery is the oldest form of treatment for cancer. It is also used to diagnose and stage cancer. The goal of cancer surgery is to remove tumors while preserving as much normal function as possible.

Symptom Management
Different categories of symptom management are broken down to help find specialized information.

Transplantation
Several web sites that specialize in transplantation.