Cancer Treatment Options

How is cancer treated?

Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are the three main types of cancer treatment. A person with cancer may have any or all of these treatments. Gamma West specializes in advanced radiation therapy treatment.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is treatment with high energy rays (such as x-rays) to kill or shrink cancer cells. The radiation may come from outside the body, called external radiation, or from radioactive materials placed directly in the tumor (internal or implant radiation). The procedure for getting external radiation is much like that of getting an x-ray and is painless, although some people have side effects.

Other types of cancer treatment

Other kinds of treatment you might hear about include hormone therapy, stem cell or bone marrow transplant, and immunotherapy. Hormone therapy is sometimes used to treat certain kinds of prostate and breast cancers. Immunotherapy is treatment designed to boost the cancer patient's own immune system to help fight the cancer.