Treatment

Watch this video to learn why taking your medication as directed is important for your cancer care and quality of life.

This video will inform a patient why oral medication therapy is given and the importance of taking the medications on time and according to the schedule of this therapy.

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.

Explains what chemotherapy is and discusses questions people may have, such as how often they will have treatment and how it will be given. Explains common side effects, why they happen, ways your healthcare providers can help you manage them, and tips for managing them at home. © National Cancer Institute

Chemotherapy can reduce the number of red blood cells in your body. When you have too few of these cells, anemia can result. Anemia has many symptoms. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have any of the symptoms listed here. You may need treatment.

The powerful drugs used in chemotherapy don't just kill cancer cells. They can also harm healthy cells in your body. For some people, this causes unpleasant side effects. Let's learn about how chemotherapy can affect you.

Cancer treatments like traditional chemotherapy and radiation therapy are designed to kill cancer cells. But they also harm healthy cells. This can cause serious side effects. Targeted therapy is a different type of treatment. It targets only the cancer cells in your body. This minimizes the damage to healthy cells.

Chemotherapy (chemo) is a treatment for cancer. Chemo can be a single medicine. Or it can be a combination of medicines. Learn how chemo works, including goals, side effects, and long-term risks.

Chemotherapy can make your blood less able to clot. This happens because the treatment lowers the number of platelets (clotting cells agents) in your blood. Your risk of bruising and bleeding increases. These tips can help prevent problem bleeding.

Chemotherapy is most often given by IV infusion (through a flexible tube placed in a vein). Depending on the type and number of medicines, the length of your IV treatment may range from hours to days.

You may have a short-term IV or a central venous catheter. Your healthcare provider will discuss which is best for your treatment.

You may have questions about how chemotherapy could affect the things you take for granted in everyday life. Here are some answers to common questions, and some of the adjustments you may need to make.

Chemotherapy typically takes place at a hospital's outpatient infusion center. Other location options include the provider's office, your home, or in a hospital or clinic.

Packing a personal care bag of items can help you stay calm and comfortable. It can change your infusion experience for the better. Here are 10 things to put into your bag before you go to the infusion clinic.

Chemotherapy can be an effective tool to treat cancer. But it can also cause side effects. Depending on how serious your side effects are, your provider might delay your chemo treatment for a short time. Read on to learn more.

Some cancer treatment medicines are given through an IV. Sometimes the medicine can leak out of the vein and into nearby tissue under the skin, causing a reaction at the injection site.

Chemotherapy can cause bruising or bleeding. Whether it happens depends on the type and dose of chemotherapy you're getting.

Because anticancer medicines are made to kill growing cells, they also affect normal, fast-growing cells such as blood cells forming in the bone marrow and cells in the digestive tract, reproductive system, and hair follicles. Some anticancer medicines may affect cells of vital organs, such as the heart, kidney, bladder, lungs, and nervous system.

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.

One type of immunotherapy uses monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). These are manufactured proteins that target specific parts of cancer cells to destroy them. mAbs are most often used along with other cancer treatments.

Immunotherapy is a way of treating disease or infection using the body's immune system. It can be used in some cases to help treat cancer. One form of immunotherapy treatment for cancer is called nonspecific immunotherapy (NSI). Learn more about NSI treatments and how they're used.

Detailed information on biological therapy, also called immunotherapy, biological response modifier therapy, or biotherapy

CAR T-cell therapy is a type of immunotherapy treatment for cancer. Read on to learn more.

Watch this video to learn what radiation therapy means in cancer care.

This uses radiation to kill cancer cells. It can shrink tumors. There are several types of radiation therapy. Let's learn about the main ones.

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.

Learn about what happens when lung cancer spreads to the brain.

This nonsurgical procedure uses beams of radiation to treat tumors or lesions deep inside the brain. The treatment may take several hours. Children may be given general anesthesia to keep them from moving during the procedure, but adults are usually kept awake.

SBRT is a form of radiation therapy used to treat cancer. Read on to learn details of when it may be used, and what to expect before and after treatment.

Use these resources to help you learn about radiation therapy.

Radiation therapy can help you in your fight against cancer. It uses high-energy X-rays or particles to kill cancer cells.

Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays or particles to kill cancer cells. This therapy can help you in your fight against cancer. Your radiation therapy team will work with you during your treatment.

Radiation therapy uses beams of high-energy X-rays or other particles to kill cancer cells. It's a common part of cancer treatment. If you and your provider decide on radiation, you'll need a treatment planning visit called a simulation.

Radiation kills cancer cells. But some normal cells can also be affected, which can result in side effects such as dry skin, fatigue, or appetite changes. Most side effects heal when your radiation therapy is over. Here's what you need to know.

Radiation therapy can help you in your fight against cancer. To feel better, get plenty of rest, exercise, and eat well. This will give your body the extra strength it needs right now. Also look to family and friends for support and comfort.

You had a procedure done to put a balloon breast brachytherapy catheter into your breast. It will be used to give you internal radiation treatment for breast cancer. The end of the catheter is in the same place the cancer was inside your breast. There's a small balloon filled with salt water (saline) on the end. Here's what you need to know about home care.

You've had a cancer treatment called permanent brachytherapy. Your healthcare provider inserted tiny radioactive seeds into your prostate. Each seed is smaller than a grain of rice. They contain radioactive material that kills nearby cancer cells. The seeds will lose their radioactivity over the next weeks and months. The seeds will stay in your prostate the rest of your life, but you can't feel them and they won't harm you.

Follow these guidelines for home care after radiation therapy.

Detailed information on radiation therapy, one type of cancer treatment.

Radiation therapy is a treatment for cancer. It uses targeted high-energy X-rays or particles to destroy cancer cells.

This surgery removes your prostate. That's the small gland between a man's bladder and penis. Let's look at surgery with the robot-assisted method. It's less invasive than traditional, open surgery.

During this procedure, your doctor removes a tumor from the inner wall of your bladder. That's the organ that holds your urine. Transurethral resection can help your doctor diagnose and treat bladder cancer.

This surgery removes one or both adrenal glands. These small glands are on top of each of your kidneys. They make hormones that are used for many body functions. You may need to have an adrenal gland removed if your doctor finds cancer or a growth in it. This surgery also helps if your adrenal glands make too many hormones.

This surgery treats tongue cancer. To get all of the cancer, a small or large part of your tongue may be removed. In some cases, the entire tongue must be removed.

This surgery removes cancer (or other abnormal tissue) from your breast. A small amount of healthy tissue is taken, too, but the rest of the breast tissue is spared. The goal of a lumpectomy is to leave you with as much natural breast tissue as possible. We also call it "breast-conserving" surgery.

ERAS is a program to improve surgical quality. The guidelines put the focus on the patient. They encourage and empower you to be an active partner in your care.

This surgery removes one or both breasts. Most often, it's used to treat breast cancer. We also use it to prevent breast cancer in those who have a very high risk for the disease. Let's take a moment to learn more.

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

This video will provide a person with some ways to prevent and lessen fatigue, which is a common side effect during cancer treatment.

This video will teach a patient ways to prevent, lessen, and cope with diarrhea, which is a common side effect of cancer treatment.

Watch this video to learn some ways to reduce and cope with the pain associated with cancer treatment.

Covers pain control medicines for cancer patients, pain control plans, talking with your health care team about pain, and coping with the physical and emotional effects of pain. © National Cancer Institute

This video will give a patient some ways to prevent, lessen and cope with hair loss which is a common side effect of cancer treatment.

After watching this video, the viewer will understand the physical and emotional toll cancer treatment can bring and hear some ways to deal with these effects.

Watch this video to learn some tips to help you sleep better.

Watch this video to learn about how alternative therapies can ease the side effects of treatment.

Watch this video to learn how to eat safely during your cancer treatment.

Watch this video to learn how to be prepared for a national disaster during cancer treatment.

Watch this video to learn tips on how to care for skin and nails during cancer treatment.

Watch this video to learn when you should call your doctor or healthcare provider if you are experiencing side effects of cancer treatment.

After viewing the video, the patient will know the symptoms of depression and anxiety that commonly affect people undergoing cancer treatment, and some positive ways he or she can get help to cope.

Difficulty passing stool (constipation) is a common side effect of chemotherapy and pain medicine. It can also occur if you're not getting enough exercise and nourishment. These tips can help.

A common side effect of cancer and cancer treatment is diarrhea. This is when you have loose, watery stools or pass stool more often than usual. To help limit this problem, try these tips.

Extreme tiredness, called fatigue, is common. It can be caused by worry, lack of sleep, or low appetite. Fatigue can also be a sign of anemia, a shortage of red blood cells. Read on for some tips to help you feel better.

Hair loss is a common side effect of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Not all types of chemotherapy and radiation therapy cause hair loss. But if it does happen, these tips can help.

Chemotherapy can make your body less able to fight off infection. This happens because treatment reduces the number of white blood cells (infection fighters) in your body. To help prevent infections, follow these tips.

Mouth sores (stomatitis) and dry mouth are common side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. These tips may help you feel better.

Minor nail problems are common side effects of chemotherapy. These side effects occur because the treatment affects normal cells as well as cancer cells. To manage these side effects, try these tips.

Nausea and vomiting are common side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Here are some helpful tips.

During chemotherapy, the energy provided by a healthy diet can help you rebuild normal cells. It can also help you keep up your strength and fight infection. These guidelines can help.

Minor skin problems are common side effects of chemotherapy. These side effects occur because the treatment affects normal cells as well as cancer cells. To manage these side effects, try the tips that follow.

Radiation therapy can cause several side effects. Most of them will go away once treatment ends. The ones you have depend on the location of the tumor. These tips can help you care for your skin after radiation therapy.

Cystitis is a common side effect of chemotherapy for some cancers. It can be serious and cause bleeding in your bladder, increasing your risk for infection.

Some cancer treatments can hurt your kidneys. If your kidneys are damaged, they are less able to remove pee and other waste from your body. And they can't work correctly. Here is what you need to know.

Some cancer treatments may harm your ears. Ototoxicity is when a person has hearing problems caused by a medicine. Tinnitus is ringing in your ears. Both can be related to cancer treatment.

Fatigue is a common problem for people who have cancer. It's a feeling of deep exhaustion that affects your body and your mind. It's draining, and even sleep doesn't fully refresh you. But there are things you can do. Try these simple strategies to fight fatigue.

Heart damage is a possible side effect of certain cancer treatments. Heart problems can start during treatment. Or they may develop years after treatment is over. Here's what you need to know.

Some symptoms can be mild. But there are some more serious things everyone should watch out for. Reporting these symptoms early to your healthcare team can help prevent complications and extra emergency room or hospital visits.

Dehydration happens when your body loses more fluids than it takes in. Understanding why and how chemotherapy can make you dehydrated is key. It's also important to know how to stay hydrated during treatment.

For some people, cancer treatment can cause flu-like symptoms. Read on to learn more about this, and what you can do.

Although chemo is good at killing cancer cells, it can also harm healthy cells and organs. That includes your liver.

People wear a cold cap before, during, and after chemotherapy. The cooling technology may help prevent hair loss (alopecia) linked with this cancer treatment.

If you're a cancer patient who struggles at mealtime, you're not alone. It's normal to feel too tired to cook or too sick to eat.

Bone pain can feel like a dull ache, a burning sensation, or a sharp, intense pain. It usually occurs in one of the long bones of the arms or legs, but it can affect any bone.

Infusion reactions are when your body has an immune response to a cancer medicine that is given IV (intravenously).

This procedure is an injection of anesthetic into the lower back. This type of injection is used to relieve pain that does not respond to oral or IV medications.

This is a problem with the immune system. It's when your white blood cells don't make enough antibodies. What are antibodies? They're proteins that help your body fight germs. Without these antibodies, you get infections more easily than other people do.

effects. One possible side effect from cancer treatment is a low platelet count. This means the number of platelets in your blood is lower than normal. Read on to learn more.

Side effects during cancer treatment can be difficult and frustrating. But there are things you can do to help minimize them.

After getting a few treatments, some people feel nausea and begin vomiting in anticipation of the next treatment. The reaction is usually caused by something related to the treatment, like the smell of alcohol or the sight of a medical uniform.

Helpful tips on foods to choose if you have nausea and vomiting during cancer treatment.

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 by radiation therapy. A bone marrow transplant uses healthy stem cells to rebuild your damaged bone marrow.

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.

PDT is a treatment that uses medicines called photosynthesizing agents and light to destroy cancer cells. It is most often used to treat certain cancers in the esophagus, lungs, and skin. Learn more about PDT and what to expect.

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.

New vaccines are being developed for cancer. Learn more about these vaccines.

A blood transfusion is when blood or parts of the blood are given to a person through an IV line placed in a vein. The blood and blood parts used for transfusion are called blood products. The blood usually comes from another person (donor). This sheet tells you more about how blood and blood products may be used to help treat cancer.

This treatment uses radioactive pellets called "seeds" to destroy prostate cancer cells. The seeds are implanted in your prostate. Each seed is about the size of a grain of rice.

Infusion therapy is a safe way to take medicines or fluids that can't be taken by mouth. Instead, they flow through a flexible tube (catheter) that's placed in a vein—usually on your arm or chest. This is called the infusion site.

This memory and concentration problem happens to some cancer patients during and after chemotherapy. With chemo brain, you feel like you're living in a haze. This makes it hard to do daily tasks.

Use this checklist to make sure you have all the things you need. If anything is missing or damaged, call the supply company right away.

Infusion therapy is a safe way to take medicines or fluids that can't be taken by mouth. Here's how to prevent infection when doing infusion therapy at home.

Your supplies need to be kept sterile. Otherwise, they aren't safe to use. Inspect, store, and dispose of supplies as directed by the nurse.

At home, you need to take good care of your catheter. A catheter has a high risk of infection. You must take extra care to protect it from germs.

In some cases, chemo or radiation may require an inpatient stay. Cancer patients may also need an inpatient stay for surgery or other complex procedures.

Clinical trials can help researchers find better ways to prevent, screen for, diagnose, and treat a disease.

Bone marrow suppression is when fewer blood cells are made in the marrow. It's a common side effect of some strong medicines, such as chemotherapy.