Southlake, TX -Aug 14, 2018 – There are various types of cancer treatment available. The treatment options your physician recommends will depend on the type and stage of cancer, the possible side effects and the preferences and overall health of the patient. Some patients will be treated with only one treatment while others may have a combination of two or more treatments.



“In cancer care, different doctors often come together as a multidisciplinary team to create an overall plan consisting of several treatments for a patient,” explains Dr. Drinkard. “When in need of cancer treatment, you have to explore all resources available to help make the best decision for each patient.”



Cancer therapy involves various modalities including:



Surgery – Surgery is the surgical removal of part of your body to treat cancer by taking out the affected part. Surgery is the foundation of every cancer treatment. It can be administered alone or may be used in combination with other treatment options such as chemotherapy, radiation, and hormone therapy. This will highly depend on the type and stage of cancer.


Chemotherapy – Chemotherapy is an effective cancer treatment option which uses medications to alleviate cancer. It works by killing both cancer and healthy body cells. Healthy cells recover after completing chemotherapy. Chemotherapy treats the whole body and eliminates all cancer cells while controlling their growth and spread.


Radiation therapy – Uses beams of gamma rays to destroy the cancer cells in the body. It is used to treat every type of cancer. Radiation types include external beam radiation that is administered from outside the body, internal radiation (brachytherapy) where radioactive cells are placed in the body, intraoperative radiation which is used during surgery and systematic radiation which is injected in the vein to deliver radiation throughout the body.


Hormone therapy – Is when pills or injections are used to modify hormones and cure or control cancer in the body. It attacks hormone-dependent tumors to alter the ability of cancer to use hormones to grow.


“Always report any persistent pain you experience during treatment,” continued Dr. Drinkard. "Although there may be no guarantees that all the pain will be eliminated, most of it can be controlled."



About Author

Southlake Oncology, a Choice Cancer Care Treatment Center, located in the Southlake and Grapevine area, is a community-focused oncology practice that delivers exceptional care to North Texas cancer patients with a variety of cancer diagnoses and blood disorders.