Cancer, simply put, is a disease that causes the cells of your body to rapidly divide and multiply abnormally. This abnormal growth is responsible for the many types of cancers people are familiar with, such as lung, breast and prostate. The way these cells mutate while dividing determines the type and severity of your cancer. Because each cancer varies, so too will your treatment plan. While multiple types of treatments exist, four types of treatments are used consistently: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and bone marrow transplants.
Surgery
According to the American Cancer Society, surgery is the oldest form of cancer treatment. Oncologists (doctors who specialize in cancer treatment) utilize surgery for a variety of reasons. In some cases it may be necessary to undergo surgery so a diagnosis can be made. Your doctor will remove a sample of the cancerous tissue to either make a diagnosis of cancer or determine the type of cancer you have.
Another type of surgery, curative, is used when the tumor is localized and the doctor is fairly certain he can remove it completely. This type of surgery may be the only treatment needed; however, your oncologist may choose to couple it with another therapy such as chemotherapy, radiation or both.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a form of treatment that incorporates one or more anti-cancer drugs to destroy or prevent the growth of cancer cells. It can be administered intravenously (through a vein), taken orally via tablets or liquid suspension medication or you can receive injections at your hospital or doctor's office.
Because the drugs travel through your bloodstream to the cancer cells, chemotherapy is also known as systemic treatment. According to Britain's The Royal Marsden Hospital, this cancer treatment is sometimes used prior to surgery to help shrink the tumor, making it easier for the doctor to remove all of the cancer. It is also used after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells. In most cases chemotherapy is not used alone but in conjunction with another type of therapy.
Because chemotherapy drugs cannot differentiate between cancer cells and healthy cells, you may experience unpleasant side effects due to the damage done to your healthy tissue. These side effects are generally temporary and subside once your treatment ends.
Radiation
Known also as radiotherapy, radiation is used much for the same reasons as chemotherapy. It can be administered prior to surgery in an effort to shrink any tumors that exist, or used after surgery to destroy any cancer cells that remain.
Two main types of radiation are used: external beam radiation and internal radiation (brachtherapy). External beam is the most common and delivers beams of high-energy radiation through a machine located outside the body. This machine is pointed precisely at the area containing the tumor or cancerous cells, decreasing the damage done to the healthy cells in that area.
Internal radiation, or brachytherapy, is even more precise than external radiation, delivering higher doses of radiation through radioactive catheters (thin tubes) that are surgically implanted. These devices are placed either into or right next to the tumor, and a machine is used to activate the radiation inside the catheter. When brachytherapy is used, fewer treatment sessions are needed due to the higher doses of radiation being administered.
Bone Marrow Transplant
When undergoing high-dose chemotherapy or radiation treatment, the stem cells in the bone marrow can become damaged or destroyed. These cells are responsible for producing white and red blood cells and platelets. Bone marrow transplants are performed to remove damaged stem cells and replace them with healthy cells that will function properly.
Bone marrow transplants are also used to treat leukemia, lymphoma and some solid tumors, according to the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center.
