Cancer Treatment And Care

Cancer treatment & care

Understand your treatment. Know what comes next.

Cancer treatment can involve difficult decisions, unfamiliar terminology, multiple therapies, and changes along the way. Understanding how treatment works and what to expect can help you have more informed conversations with your care team and feel better prepared for each stage of care. From choosing a treatment approach to managing side effects and planning follow-up care, explore information to help you navigate treatment with greater clarity.

Start the guide

Part 1Before treatment2 topics
Part 2Treatment approaches10 topics
Part 3During treatment3 topics
Part 4When things change2 topics

Part 1 · Before treatmentTopic 1 of 17

Before treatment begins

How is a treatment plan decided?

Treatment decisions often begin with understanding exactly what is being treated. Your care team may consider:

The type and stage of cancer

The cancer’s location, size, stage, grade, and whether it has spread can influence which treatments are appropriate.

The biology of the cancer

Biomarker, molecular, or genetic testing may reveal characteristics that can help identify certain treatment options.

Your overall health

Other medical conditions, medications, physical health, and your ability to tolerate treatment may all factor into planning.

The goal of treatment

Treatment may aim to remove or destroy cancer, reduce the chance of recurrence, slow or control its growth, or relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.

Previous treatment

What you have already received — and how your cancer responded — can influence what comes next.

Conversation with care team is important

Your cancer care team can explain why a particular treatment is being recommended, what alternatives may exist, what benefits and risks to consider, and how you will know whether treatment is working.

Useful questions can include · 8

What is the goal of my treatment?
Why are you recommending this approach?
Are there other treatment options?
Will I receive more than one type of treatment?
What side effects should I expect?
How will we know if the treatment is working?
Are there clinical trials I should know about?
What should I do to prepare?

Part 1 · Before treatmentTopic 2 of 17

Getting ready

Preparing for treatment

Knowing what to expect can make treatment easier to navigate.

Starting treatment often means adjusting to new appointments, medicines, tests, routines, and responsibilities. Preparing for those changes can help you focus more of your energy on your care.

Before treatment begins, consider talking with your care team about

Your treatment schedule
How treatment will be given
Tests and scans you may need
Medicines and other preparations
Potential side effects
When to contact your care team
Transportation and appointments
Work and everyday responsibilities
Nutrition and hydration
Support from family, friends, or caregivers

You may also want to keep a written record of appointments, medications, symptoms, questions, and treatment dates so that important information is easy to find.

Part 2 · Treatment approachesTopic 3 of 17

Know your options

Treatment Approaches

Cancer treatment has evolved into a range of approaches, from surgery and radiation to medicines designed to target specific characteristics of cancer cells or help the immune system recognize cancer.

The treatment — or combination of treatments — you receive depends on your individual cancer and care plan.

Part 2 · Treatment approachesTopic 4 of 17

Removing cancer through surgery

Surgery

Surgery may be used to remove a cancerous tumor, diagnose or stage cancer, prevent cancer from developing in certain situations, or relieve problems caused by a tumor.

Learn about different types of cancer surgery, preparing for an operation, recovery, and questions to discuss with your surgical team.

Explore surgery

Part 2 · Treatment approachesTopic 5 of 17

Treating cancer with medicines

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses medicines to kill cancer cells or stop them from growing. It can be given on its own or combined with other treatments.

Learn how chemotherapy is given, what treatment cycles mean, common side effects, and ways to prepare for treatment.

Explore chemotherapy

Part 2 · Treatment approachesTopic 6 of 17

Using radiation to target cancer

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses high doses of radiation to damage cancer cells and shrink or destroy tumors. It may be used before or after surgery, alongside other treatments, or to relieve symptoms.

Learn how radiation therapy works, how treatment is planned, and what you may experience during and after treatment.

Explore radiation therapy

Part 2 · Treatment approachesTopic 7 of 17

Helping the immune system recognize cancer

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy uses treatments that help the body’s immune system recognize or attack cancer. Different forms work in different ways and are used for particular cancers and situations.

Learn about the different approaches to immunotherapy, who may receive them, and potential side effects.

Explore immunotherapy

Part 2 · Treatment approachesTopic 8 of 17

Targeting the changes that help cancer grow

Targeted Therapy

Targeted therapies are designed to act on specific proteins or other changes that help cancer cells grow, divide, or spread.

Because these treatments are designed around particular characteristics of cancer, testing can play an important role in determining whether they may be appropriate.

Explore targeted therapy

Part 2 · Treatment approachesTopic 9 of 17

Blocking hormones that can fuel certain cancers

Hormone Therapy

Some cancers depend on hormones to grow. Hormone therapy works by reducing hormone production or preventing hormones from acting on cancer cells.

It is commonly used for certain breast and prostate cancers and may be used alone or alongside other treatments.

Explore hormone therapy

Part 2 · Treatment approachesTopic 10 of 17

Matching treatment to the biology of your cancer

Precision Medicine

Cancers that look similar under a microscope can have different molecular characteristics. Precision medicine uses information about those characteristics to help inform treatment decisions.

Biomarker and genomic testing may identify changes that can help doctors determine whether certain targeted therapies or other treatments may be appropriate.

Explore precision medicine

Part 2 · Treatment approachesTopic 11 of 17

Replacing blood-forming cells after intensive treatment

Stem Cell & Bone Marrow Transplant

Stem cell or bone marrow transplantation may be part of treatment for certain cancers, particularly some blood cancers.

Learn who may need a transplant, how the process works, and what recovery can involve.

Explore stem cell transplantation

Part 2 · Treatment approachesTopic 12 of 17

When standard options aren’t the only options

Clinical Trials

Could a clinical trial be part of your care?

Clinical trials are research studies that evaluate new medicines, treatment combinations, procedures, or approaches to cancer care. Some investigate treatments that are not yet widely available, while others study new ways to use existing treatments.

A clinical trial is not automatically right for everyone. Eligibility, potential benefits, risks, practical considerations, and alternatives should be discussed with your cancer care team.

Explore clinical trials

Part 3 · During treatmentTopic 13 of 17

When treatment affects daily life

Managing treatment

Side effects are part of the care conversation.

Cancer and its treatments can affect the body in many different ways. Fatigue, nausea, pain, changes in appetite, sleep problems, skin changes, neuropathy, and other side effects can affect how you feel and function during treatment.

Side effects vary by treatment and by person. Some can be prevented or managed, and your care team can help you understand what to expect and what to do when something changes.

Explore managing treatment side effects

Know when to speak up

Don’t assume that a difficult symptom is simply something you have to live with. Tell your care team what you’re experiencing, particularly if a symptom is new, worsening, or interfering with daily life.

Your treatment team can help determine what may be causing the symptom and whether changes, medicines, or other supportive measures can help.

Part 3 · During treatmentTopic 14 of 17

Supporting your body

Nutrition during treatment

Eating well may look different during treatment.

Cancer treatment can change appetite, taste, digestion, energy levels, and the way your body uses nutrients. As a result, the way you eat may need to change too.

There is no single cancer diet. Nutritional needs depend on your cancer, treatment, symptoms, and overall health.

Explore practical information about

Eating when your appetite is low
Managing nausea and digestive symptoms
Changes in taste and smell
Staying hydrated
Getting enough calories and protein
Food safety during treatment
Supplements and vitamins
Working with a registered dietitian
Nutrition after treatment

Explore nutrition during cancer treatment

Part 3 · During treatmentTopic 15 of 17

Care beyond cancer treatment

Supportive & Palliative Care

Treatment matters. So does how you feel during it.

Supportive care helps address the physical, emotional, practical, and social challenges that can come with cancer and its treatment.

Palliative care is one form of supportive care focused on relieving symptoms and improving quality of life. It can be provided alongside cancer treatment and at different stages of the cancer journey.

Support may include help with pain, fatigue, nausea, sleep, nutrition, emotional wellbeing, communication, mobility, and other concerns.

Explore supportive & palliative care

Part 4 · When things changeTopic 16 of 17

Treatment is not always a straight line

When treatment changes

What happens when the plan needs to change?

Sometimes a treatment works as expected. Sometimes a cancer responds partially, stops responding, or returns. When that happens, your care team may consider another treatment, a different combination, a clinical trial, or a greater focus on managing symptoms and quality of life.

Understanding why the treatment plan is changing can be just as important as understanding what comes next.

You may want to discuss

How your cancer is responding
What your test and scan results mean
Whether another treatment is available
Whether a second opinion could help
Whether a clinical trial may be appropriate
What side effects or symptoms should be managed
How treatment goals may change over time

Part 4 · When things changeTopic 17 of 17

After active treatment

Follow-up care

Treatment may end. Care continues.

Finishing active treatment can mark an important transition, but it doesn’t necessarily mean the end of cancer care.

Follow-up may include appointments, tests or scans, monitoring for recurrence when appropriate, managing long-term or late effects, rehabilitation, and supporting your overall health.

It can also be a time to adjust to life after treatment — physically, emotionally, socially, and practically.

Explore follow-up & survivorship care

Reliable help based upon where you are in your journey

Explore more cancer information

Your next question may lead somewhere different.

Cancer treatment doesn’t happen in isolation. What you need to understand next may depend on where you are in your journey, the type of cancer you’re dealing with, or whether you’re supporting someone else.

Newly diagnosed

Understand your diagnosis, staging, pathology, treatment options, and the questions to ask next.

Explore newly diagnosed cancer

Living with cancer

Find information for managing everyday life, side effects, nutrition, wellbeing, relationships, work, and more.

Explore living with cancer

For patients & caregivers

Find practical resources for appointments, treatment, caregiving, communication, and day-to-day support.

Explore patient & caregiver resources

Cancer types

Explore cancer-specific information, including diagnosis, treatment, ongoing care, and research.

Explore cancer types

Cancer research & breakthroughs

Understand the research advancing cancer treatment and the discoveries shaping what may come next.

Explore cancer research

Information you can come back to

Cancer care changes. Your questions can too.

You may not need the same information throughout your cancer experience. A question about nutrition today may become a question about fatigue tomorrow, and something that feels overwhelming during treatment may become easier to navigate with the right information and support.

This hub is designed to be something you can return to whenever a new question comes up.

Explore cancer information hub

This information is educational and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always talk with your care team about your diagnosis and treatment.

Research makes cures possible

Every new discovery has the potential to change what we know about cancer — how it begins, how it spreads, how it can be detected, and how it can be treated.

Your support helps fund scientists working across cancer types to turn promising discoveries into life-saving options for patients.

Prefer to speak with someone? Call us to donate — 1-800-321-CURE.

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