Options in Cancer Treatments

Options in Cancer Treatments

There are many different options in cancer treatments today. This is positive news for anyone who has a family member suffering with any type of cancer. Anton Bilchik MD knows how scary it can be to have someone you love going through cancer treatments or being diagnosed with cancer, so the goal is to provide helpful information.

What options exist for cancer treatments? First, it always depends on the type of cancer, where it’s located, as well as the stage. The patient’s current health, other medical conditions, and family history can also play a role in the treatment options. In general, there are some basic cancer treatment options for patients to consider.

The first is removal. Removal of cancer cells can happen with surgery. This is usually done by finding the mass of cancer cells and surgically removing it from the body. There are some situations where this is impossible or risky. There is also the problem that some cells might be left behind, and then will continue to grow.

Another cancer treatment option is radiation. There is also chemotherapy—something that nearly everyone has heard of at one point or another. While there are serious risks with both, radiation and chemotherapy have been proven to be very effective in treating different types of cancer. Often, a person will have surgery first, and then radiation and/or chemo to finish off the rest of the cells that may remain in the body. The problem with radiation and chemotherapy is that they can reduce the number of healthy cells that remain and cause unwanted side effects in the patient.

Anton Bilchik MD will consult with you to determine the best course of treatment for your type of cancer in order to yield the best results.