Treatment

This cancer treatment, commonly called "chemo," uses powerful drugs to target the cancer cells in your body. These drugs kill your cancer cells, or slow their growth and keep them from spreading. Chemotherapy can be used on its own. It can also be combined with other cancer treatments such as surgery or radiation therapy.

The powerful drugs used in chemotherapy don't just affect cancer cells. They can also affect healthy cells throughout your body. For some patients, this results in serious side effects. By knowing how chemo drugs can affect your body, you can better prepare for your treatment and recovery.

Your immune system helps detect and destroy invading germs. But because cancer cells are made from your own tissue, your immune system may not always see these cells as something that should be attacked. The goal of biological therapy, also called "immunotherapy," is to help your immune system recognize and fight cancer cells. There are several types of biological therapies. Let's look at the three main types.

Biological therapy patients are treated with substances commonly thought of as "natural." Your treatment may use proteins or other materials naturally produced by the human body. These are usually easier on your body than strong chemotherapy drugs. But biological therapy, also called "immunotherapy," does have side effects.

This cancer treatment targets cancer cells with high-frequency energy. The energy destroys the DNA of the cancer cells. It kills cancer cells, and can shrink tumors. Radiation therapy can be combined with other treatment options such as chemotherapy or surgery as part of a complete treatment plan.

Radiation therapy is an effective way to destroy cancer cells. But in the process, it can also damage healthy cells in your body. This creates serious side effects for many patients.

This is a surgery to remove part or all of your colon. That's another name for your large intestine. You may need a colectomy if you have colon cancer, Crohn's disease or some other problem.

This minimally-invasive procedure, performed with the da Vinci Surgical System, is used to remove a cancerous prostate gland and some of the tissue surrounding the prostate.

This video will inform a patient about some of the ways to prevent, lessen, and cope with the common side effect of cancer treatment of mouth and throat problems.

This video will give the patient an idea of what Neutropenia is, and learn some ways to protect him/herself from infection.

Cancer vaccines stimulate your immune system. They help your immune system recognize and fight viruses linked to cancer, or fight cancer cells directly. There are two types of cancer vaccines, "preventative" vaccines and "treatment" vaccines.

Bone marrow is a soft, spongy tissue found inside the large bones in your body. It's where new blood cells are made. Bone marrow can be damaged by disease. It can be destroyed by chemotherapy or radiation therapy. A stem cell transplant uses healthy stem cells to rebuild your damaged bone marrow.