You may have just learned that you or a loved on has cancer. Chances are you may have many questions about the treatment options such as, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgery, or bone marrow transplant. Here is some general information on what a patient can expect from these treatment types. It is not meant to replace the medical advice of your cancer specialist. If you have more questions, do not be afraid to ask your doctor, nurse or any member of your cancer care team for help.

Radiation Therapy
Radiation treatment or radiotherapy is the use of precisely calculated doses of high energy X-rays to treat parts of the body where there is cancer. It is generally a pain-free treatment and external radiation therapy does not cause you to be radioactive. A course of radiation treatment can involve a single or multiple sessions depending on your doctor’s prescription. At The Cancer Institute’s Radiotherapy Centres, most of our patients receive their 15 to 30 minutes treatment sessions as an outpatient so they are able to resume their lives as normally as possible.

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Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to destroy rapidly growing cancer cells. Some kinds of chemotherapy may slow the growth of cancer cells and keep them from spreading to other parts of the body. It may be used with radiation to help shrink the tumor before surgery. It may also be used after surgery or radiation to destroy remnant cancer cells. At The Cancer Institute’s cancer clinics, chemotherapy is given as an outpatient procedure at our specialised treatment areas, managed by a team of oncology trained nurses who provide close monitoring.

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Surgery
Surgery may be used to remove the tumor. It is usually carried out if the tumor is small and has not spread to other areas. It can be the only treatment prescribed, or in combination with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.

Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT)
Blood or bone marrow transplant (BMT) is an established, important therapy for malignant as well as non-malignant disorders of the bone marrow. Currently, BMT is performed for patients with acute myeloblactic and lymphoblastic leukemias, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and others.