The most common forms of cancer treatment are surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and biotherapy/targeted therapy. Sometimes a clinical trial might be available, which is a way to utilize a promising new treatment in a controlled research setting. Patients may be asked to consider and choose from several different treatment options, or they may be advised that a combination of therapies would be best.

Decisions about cancer treatment are based on several things:

• the type of cancer
• the location of the tumor
• whether or not the disease has spread
• the patient’s age, general health, and other individual circumstances

By understanding your cancer diagnosis and why, when, and how different treatments are used, in addition to understanding what related side effects might be expected for each treatment, you will be able to more knowledgeably and actively discuss your best treatment plan with the oncology care team.

What Is the Goal of Cancer Treatment?

This may be a difficult question to ask but it is an important one as you make treatment decisions with your oncology health care team.  Treatment may be used to achieve different goals depending on the diagnosis:

Cure the cancer:
Destroy cancer cells to the point that they can no longer be detected and will not grow back
Control the cancer:
Keep cancer from spreading, slow its growth, or destroy cancer cells that have spread
Ease symptoms (palliative care):
Ease pain or pressure by shrinking tumors or managing other symptoms that cancer may cause

Actively discuss with your oncologist what you hope to achieve with your treatment.

Important questions to ask about your treatment, in general:

• What is the goal of the treatment you recommend?
• What are the benefits?
• What are the risks?
• Are there other ways to treat this cancer?
• Is a clinical trial an option for me?
• Where will I receive treatment (in this facility or another)?
• What side effects can I expect now or later*?
• Will the side effects go away when the treatment is over?
• What can I do to manage side effects?
• When and how can I communicate with you between appointments?
• Can I have a copy of these tests and treatments (medical records) for my own files?

*Each type of treatment has its own potential side effects. Since every person responds differently to cancer treatment, common side effects may or may not develop for you.