Treatment

New and improved treatment methods have greatly increased survival rates.

Blood and Marrow Transplantation
Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) are treatments most commonly used in the treatment of leukemia and lymphoma. BMT and PBSCT restore stem cells that have been destroyed by high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.

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 relive 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.

Complementary and Alternative 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.

Biologic Therapy/Immunotherapy: Growth Factors, Monoclonal Antibodies,Cancer Vaccines
Biologic therapy (or more commonly referred to as biotherapy) is a type of anticancer therapy which utilizes natural body proteins and their functions to fight cancer. It is therapy which changes the relationship between the tumor (cancer) and the host (person who has the tumor). It represents the first attempt to target cancer therapies directly to the cancer cell. Immunotherapy (a form of biologic therapy) is treatment that uses certain parts of the immune system to fight disease, including cancer. This can be done by stimulating your own immune system to work harder.

Radiation
Radiation therapy uses a special energy called ionizing radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy injures or destroys cells in the area being treated. The goal of radiation therapy is to damage as many cancer cells as possible while minimizing effect and exposure to healthy tissues.

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.