ADAM Health Encyclopedia

Cancer treatment information

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Cancer treatment information

Alternative Names

Cancer warning signs

Information

The goals of cancer treatment are to:

Kill or remove cancer cells
Prevent or delay the cancer from coming back
Treat cancer symptoms (if the cancer can not be cured)

The types of treatment depend on the specific type of cancer, but may include:

Chemotherapy
Radiation
Surgery

You may receive more than one type of treatment. This is called combined therapy.

Cancer warning signs include:

A change in bowel or bladder habits
A sore that does not heal
Unusual bleeding or drainage
Thickening or lump in the breast or elsewhere
Indigestion or swallowing difficulty
A change in a wart or mole
Persistent cough or hoarseness

It is important to note that these symptoms may also be due to conditions other than cancer.

The following articles offer more detailed information:

For information on cancer-related organizations, please see Cancer - support groups.

Review Date: 10/31/2006
Reviewed By: Rita Nanda, M.D., Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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