Cancer treatments in brief: what common terms mean

The plan differs from person to person

There is no single treatment for every cancer. The plan depends on factors including the type of cancer, how far it has spread, the tumour's characteristics, the person's general health and the goal of care. Some people receive one type of treatment and others receive a combination.

Hearing the name of a treatment does not mean that it is available or appropriate for your situation. The decision is discussed with your oncology team.

Surgery may remove a tumour or part of the affected tissue. It is used mainly for solid tumours and may have a role in diagnosis, treatment, relieving symptoms or assessing how far the disease has spread.

Radiotherapy uses high doses of radiation to destroy cancer cells or slow their growth. It usually treats a defined area. Depending on the indication, radiation may be delivered from outside the body or from a source placed inside the body.

Chemotherapy uses medicines that kill cancer cells or stop them from growing. It may reach several parts of the body and can be given in different ways, including by infusion or by mouth. The schedule and possible side effects depend on the medicines used.

Targeted therapies act on proteins or changes that help cancer cells grow and spread. Some treatments require biomarker testing. Finding a target does not automatically mean that a particular medicine is suitable.

Immunotherapy helps the immune system recognise or attack cancer more effectively. There are several types of immunotherapy, and they are not suitable for every cancer or every person.

Hormone therapy slows or stops the growth of cancers that use hormones to develop, including some breast and prostate cancers. It is not the same as the treatments commonly used for hormonal symptoms.

A stem cell transplant restores blood-forming cells after they have been affected by high-dose chemotherapy or radiotherapy. It is used in certain situations and requires specialist assessment and monitoring.

A treatment may be given before the main treatment to shrink the tumour, or afterwards to reduce the risk of the disease returning. Sometimes the aim is to control the cancer or reduce symptoms rather than cure it. Ask the team about the specific goal in your plan. The same treatment can be used for different purposes.

• What is the goal of this treatment in my situation?
• What alternatives are available, and why do you recommend this one?
• How is it given, and how long is the proposed plan?
• Which side effects should I report, and to whom?
• How will we check whether the treatment is working?

The names describe different ways of treating cancer, not a ranking of treatments. To understand a plan, you need three things: its goal, why it was chosen and how the team will monitor its effects.