Types of Cancer Treatment From an Oncologist

If you want to know the different types of cancer treatment from an oncologist, continue reading. The goal of cancer treatment is to remove cancer cells from your body and get you back to a normal life. This outcome depends on each patient’s situation. An incurable type of cancer will need treatments that could slow down the progression of the disease.

An overview of cancer treatments from an oncologist

An oncologist may recommend primary or adjuvant treatments for a patient's cancer. Primary treatment aims to kill cancer cells or remove cancer from the body. The most common primary treatment is surgery. This treatment may be invasive, but it is ideal for the immediate removal of the tumor. The patient may receive either chemotherapy or radiation therapy if cancer cells are sensitive to these treatments, or a combination of the two.

Adjuvant treatment aims to kill cancer cells that may persist after the primary treatment. This will reduce the chance of cancer recurring. Common forms of adjuvant therapy include hormone therapy and radiation therapy. Neoadjuvant therapy occurs before the primary treatment. The aim is to make the primary treatment more effective or easier.

Palliative treatment

This type of cancer treatment may help relieve cancer symptoms. It may also help relieve some side effects from other cancer treatments. The attending oncologist can use chemotherapy, hormone therapy, surgery, and radiation therapy to help the patient. Medications may treat other symptoms, such as shortness of breath and pain.

Bone marrow transplant

Bone marrow is the substance inside the bones. It has blood stem cells that manufacture blood cells. A blood marrow or stem cell transplant can use a donor’s or the patient’s own bone marrow stem cells. This treatment allows the oncologist to use higher levels of chemotherapy for cancer. It may also replace the unhealthy bone marrow.

Immunotherapy

The immune system targets and kills abnormal cells. This prevents or slows down the growth of many cancer cells. In some cases, immune cells are present in or around the tumors. These are TILs or tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Their presence is a strong sign that the patient’s immune system is fighting the cancer cells. Patients who have TILs tend to fare better than patients whose cancers do not have them.

Immunotherapy is also called biological therapy because it uses the body’s own defenses to fight cancer. There could be cancers that the patient’s immune system cannot detect. Immunotherapy helps the body’s immunity see the tumors better. From there, the body can fight the tumor and prevent it from progressing.

Hormone therapy

Some cancers grow because specific hormones fuel them. Prostate cancer and breast cancer are examples of cancers that are fed by hormones. Hormone therapy can decrease the chance of cancer returning. It can also slow down or stop the growth of the tumor. This therapy can also ease or prevent cancer symptoms in patients who cannot have radiation therapy or surgery.

An oncologist can recommend hormone therapy for breast and prostate cancers. The patient can have it with other cancer treatments. The treatment will depend on the type of cancer and how far the cancer cells have spread. It will also depend on whether the specific type of cancer uses hormones to grow or if the patient has other health issues.

Radiofrequency ablation

This treatment uses electrical energy. It heats up cancer cells and destroys them. The oncologist uses a thin needle and guides it through an incision or the skin. The needle then penetrates the cancer tissue. The heat passes through the needle. It causes the surrounding tissue to heat up, eliminating them.

Targeted therapy

Targeted therapy aims to destroy the proteins that control the spread, growth, and division of cells. Targeted therapies are either monoclonal antibodies or small-molecule drugs. Monoclonal antibodies are also known as therapeutic antibodies. These proteins are manufactured in a lab. The proteins attach to the targets on cancer cells. This allows these cells to be better seen and destroyed by the body’s immune system.

Monoclonal antibodies cause cancer cells to self-destruct or prevent them from growing. Others carry substances that are toxic to cancer cells. There are also small-molecule drugs that are small enough to enter cancer cells. The small-molecule drugs settle inside the cells and become targets for treatment.

The bottom line

Knowing the right types of cancer treatment available to you can help you make informed decisions with your oncologist. Working with your oncologist can make your treatment easier.

Get more information about Lindenberg Cancer & Hematology Center in Marlton at https://lindenbergcancer.com.

Check out what others are saying about our services on Yelp: Oncologist in Marlton, NJ.