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Personalized cancer treatments, including robotic surgery and targeted therapy. Explore the multidisciplinary rehabilitation program at LIV Hospital.
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Surgery remains the primary treatment for many solid tumors. The goal is to remove the cancer and a margin of healthy tissue to ensure no cells are left behind.
Minimally invasive techniques, such as laparoscopic and robotic surgery, are now standard for prostate cancer and colorectal cancer. These methods result in less pain and faster recovery.
For breast cancer, lumpectomy (removing just the tumor) is often chosen over mastectomy (removing the whole breast) when appropriate, yielding equal survival rates.
Radiation uses high-energy beams to destroy cancer cells. External beam radiation is the most common type, delivered by a machine outside the body.
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) delivers extremely high doses to a small area with pinpoint accuracy. It is used for lung and brain tumors.
Brachytherapy involves placing radioactive seeds directly inside the body. This is a standard treatment for prostate cancer and cervical cancer.
Chemotherapy involves drugs that travel through the bloodstream to kill rapidly dividing cells. It is used to treat widespread disease or to remove microscopic cells after surgery.
Regimens are specific to the cancer type. For example, colon cancer often uses different drugs than breast cancer.
Advancements have led to better management of side effects. Supportive drugs now effectively prevent nausea and boost blood counts during treatment.
Immunotherapy is a breakthrough that trains the patient’s immune system to attack the disease. It has revolutionized the treatment of melanoma and lung cancer.
Checkpoint inhibitors are drugs that take the “brakes” off the immune system. This allows T-cells to recognize and kill tumor cells.
CAR T-cell therapy involves modifying a patient’s own immune cells in a lab and reinfusing them. This is primarily used for blood cancers but is being researched for solid tumors.
Targeted therapies work differently from chemo. They target specific molecular pathways in cancer cells. This spares normal cells and reduces collateral damage.
In breast cancer, HER2-targeted drugs attach to receptors on the cell surface. In lung cancer, drugs target EGFR or ALK mutations.
These treatments are often pills taken daily. They turn a terminal illness into a manageable chronic condition for many patients.
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Hormone therapies are used for cancers that are fueled by hormones, specifically breast and prostate cancer.
For breast cancer, drugs like tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors block estrogen. This prevents the hormone from feeding any remaining cancer cells.
For prostate cancer, Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) lowers testosterone levels. This starves the tumor, causing it to shrink.
Skin cancer treatment depends on the type and depth of the cancer. Superficial basal cell carcinomas can sometimes be treated with topical creams or scraping (curettage).
Mohs micrographic surgery is the gold standard for high-risk areas, such as the face. The surgeon removes tissue layer by layer, checking margins instantly to save healthy skin.
For melanoma, wide local excision is performed. Advanced melanoma is now treated highly effectively with immunotherapy combinations.
Colorectal cancer usually requires surgery to remove the affected section of the colon. A temporary or permanent colostomy may be needed, though surgeons strive to reconnect the bowel.
Pancreatic cancer treatment is complex. The Whipple procedure is a significant surgery to remove the head of the pancreas. Chemotherapy is almost always part of the plan.
Stomach cancer often requires partial or total gastrectomy (removal of the stomach). Diet and nutrition become a significant focus post-treatment.
Ovarian cancer treatment typically involves debulking surgery to remove as much tumor as possible, followed by chemotherapy.
Cervical cancer, if found early, may be treated with a cone biopsy. Advanced stages require chemoradiation (chemo and radiation given together).
Uterine cancer usually involves a hysterectomy. Minimally invasive robotic hysterectomy is the standard of care for many women.
Bladder cancer treatment ranges from scraping the tumor via cystoscopy to removing the bladder (cystectomy). If the bladder is removed, a new way to store urine is created surgically.
Testicular cancer is highly curable with orchiectomy and, if needed, chemotherapy. Radiation is used for specific types, such as seminoma.
Kidney cancer is often treated with a partial nephrectomy (removing just the tumor) to save kidney function. Immunotherapy is effective for advanced renal cell carcinoma.
Thyroid cancer is primarily treated with thyroidectomy (removal of the gland). Radioactive iodine (RAI) is then used to destroy any remaining thyroid tissue.
Throat cancer treatment balances cure with preservation of speech and swallowing. Radiation and chemotherapy are often used to avoid removing the voice box (larynx).
Reconstructive surgery plays a massive role in head and neck oncology to restore appearance and function after tumor removal.
Treatment isn’t always about a cure; sometimes it is about symptom relief. Palliative procedures improve quality of life.
Stents can be placed in the esophagus or bile duct to keep them open if a tumor is pressing on them. This allows patients to eat and digest food.
Palliative radiation can shrink tumors pressing on nerves or bones to relieve pain instantly.
Clinical trials are research studies that test new treatments. They offer patients access to cutting-edge therapies that are not yet widely available.
Trials test new drugs, new drug combinations, or new surgical techniques. They are essential for advancing medical knowledge.
Participation is voluntary. The research team closely monitors patients in trials.
Integrative oncology combines standard medical treatments with complementary therapies. The goal is to treat the whole person, not just the disease.
Acupuncture may be used to help with chemotherapy-induced nausea or neuropathy. Yoga and meditation help with stress and fatigue.
These therapies must be coordinated with the oncology team to ensure they do not interfere with medical treatment.
Chemotherapy kills rapidly dividing cells directly, while immunotherapy boosts the body’s immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.
External beam radiation does not make you radioactive. However, internal radiation (brachytherapy) implants may emit radiation for a short time.
It is a common myth that surgery spreads the disease; surgeons use special techniques and barriers to prevent cells from spreading during operations.
Targeted therapy uses drugs to identify and attack specific types of cancer cells with less harm to normal cells, often based on genetic markers.
Chemotherapy targets all rapidly dividing cells, and since hair follicles divide quickly, they are often affected, leading to temporary hair loss.
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