Cancer Treatments Other Than Chemo

When treating cancer, the earlier a patient begins treatment, the better her prognosis is for recovery. Doctors have a variety of treatment options. A doctor bases the choice on what will be most effective in treating a particular cancer in a specific patient. This means he may choose a cancer treatment other than chemotherapy if another treatment is more likely to help.

The Facts

• Cancer occurs when abnormal cells begin to grow and multiply within a person's body at an uncontrolled rate. This can happen in any part of the body, including the skin, in organs and in bones. Cancer is caused by a variety of factors such as some chemicals, certain viruses and radiation. Doctors have developed a range of treatments to combat cancer. Chemotherapy is a well-known form of cancer treatment. Alternative treatments include radiation therapy, surgery and others.

Radiation Therapy

• In radiation therapy, a doctor directs a special kind of radiation at the cancer. The radiation can be in the form of an X-ray, gamma ray or electrons. In this cancer treatment, the goal is to damage the cancer cells so they can no longer multiply, stopping the uncontrolled growth of the cancer. Radiation therapy can be used alone or in combination with other treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy.

Surgery

• When used to treat cancer, the goal of surgery is to cut out cancerous cells, removing them all and leaving only healthy tissue behind. Surgery is a good treatment option for tumors that are in one specific area and can be removed along with surrounding tissue without endangering the health of the patient. Surgery is often used in combination with other treatments. Some patients receive it after radiation treatment has stopped the cancer's growth. Others undergo chemotherapy after surgery to destroy any cancer cells that might have been left behind.

Drug Therapies

• Treatments other than chemotherapy use drugs to combat cancer. In antiangiogenesis therapy, drugs are used to prevent tumors from making the new blood vessels they need to grow and spread. With photodynamic therapy, drugs that act as photosensitizing agents are used on the cancer and are then combined with light to kill the abnormal cells. Targeted therapy can be used to direct enzyme inhibitors at cancer cells to stop their growth.

Other Treatments

• Other methods include biological treatment, in which proteins are used to increase a patient's immune system's ability to combat cancer with T-cells and B-cells. In hormone therapy, hormones are used to counteract estrogen or testosterone, both of which can make cancer cells grow faster. These treatments are often combined with radiation therapy, surgery or chemotherapy in order to better combat the cancer.