If your doctor detects a recurrence during a follow-up visit, he or she will order diagnostic tests and biopsies to be sure. Treatment of recurrent cancer depends on the following factors:
In general, treatment options for recurrent cancer are the same as for any type of cancer. Your doctor will develop a treatment plan for you based on the above factors. Your treatment plan will consist of a combination of the following therapies:
Surgery is the primary treatment for most types of cancer. A surgeon will remove the tumor along with a margin of healthy tissue around it. The surgeon may also remove some nearby lymph nodes. Surgery may also be combined with other cancer treatments to increase its effectiveness, and it may also be used to relieve symptoms.
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Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to target rapidly growing cells in an effort to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy medications may be given through the vein (intravenously) or by mouth (orally). Doctors give chemotherapy to shrink the tumor before surgery and destroy any traces of cancer left after surgery. In more advanced stages in which the cancer has spread, chemotherapy may be the best treatment option to relieve symptoms and improve survival.
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Radiation therapy uses waves of high energy rays to destroy cancer cells. Doctors give radiation therapy to shrink the tumor before surgery and eliminate any traces of cancer left after surgery. In more advanced stages, radiation may be used to help relieve symptoms or prevent further growth in areas like the brain or spine.
Some cancers need hormones to grow. Hormone therapy lowers the levels of these hormones or blocks their effect in order to slow down cancer cell growth.
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Some cancer cells contain too many proteins that cause the cancer to grow more aggressively. Targeted therapy specifically targets these cells, preventing the proteins from fueling cell growth.
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Biological therapy stimulates the body's immune system and helps it fight cancer cells.
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A stem cell transplantation allows patients to receive increased doses of radiation and chemotherapy. These high doses destroy normal cells as well as cancer cells. After treatment, the patient receives blood-forming stem cells that help the body form new, healthy blood cells.
Clinical trials allow patients to try a new treatment before it is available to the general public. In some cases, this may be a new drug that has not been used in humans before, or it may be a drug or drug combination that is not currently used for that specific type of cancer. Early phase clinical trials are often used to test side effects of a drug or drug combination, while later phase clinical trials are used to see how effective a new treatment might be for a certain type of cancer. Clinical trials allow doctors and researchers to improve the treatment of cancers with possibly more effective therapies. A clinical trial may be a new, groundbreaking drug or it may have no effect. It is important to talk with your doctor about the pros and cons of clinical trials for your particular situation.
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Palliative care, also called supportive care, is treatment of symptoms to improve comfort and quality of life in patients with advanced stage disease. Palliative care is not meant to cure the cancer, but to make life easier and more comfortable.
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