Patho 3PA2: Cancer (part 6)

goals of cancer treatment

- cure

- control

- palliation

tx plan depends on these factors:

type and stage of cancer, pt's age, and general health

most treatment plans involve these modalities:

- surgery

- radiation

- chemo

some treatment plans involve these modalities too

hormones or biologics

why might stem cell transplant be done in cancer tx

so that a pt can handle very high doses of chemo/radiation

do some cancers respond better to certain treatments?

yes

adjuvant chemo

to destroy microscopic cells after local control with surgery and/or radiation

local therapies versus systemic therapies

therapy that works in a specific area like surgery or radiation vs a therapy that goes throughout the bloodstream to destroy cancer cells all over the body

these kinds of therapy are typically systemic, destroying cells that may have spread beyond the primary tumour:

- chemo

- hormones

- biologics