for cancer depends on the type of cancer and the stage of the disease (how severe the cancer is and whether it has spread). Doctors may also consider the patient’s age and general health. Often, the goal of treatment is to cure the cancer. In other cases, the goal is to control the disease or to reduce symptoms for as long as possible. The treatment plan for a person may change over time.7
Most treatment plans include surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy. Other plans involve biological therapy (a treatment that helps your immune system fight cancer).3
Some cancers respond best to a single type of treatment. Other cancers may respond best to a combination of treatments.3
For patients who get very high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy, a stem cell transplant, also known as a bone marrow transplant, may be recommended by their doctor. This is because high-dose therapies destroy both cancer cells and normal blood cells. A stem cell transplant can help the body to make healthy blood cells to replace the ones lost due to the cancer treatment. It’s a complicated procedure with many side effects and risks.12
Quitting smoking improves the outlook (the prognosis) for people with cancer. People who continue to smoke after diagnosis raise their risk for future cancers and death. They are more likely to die from cancer than nonsmokers and are more likely to develop a second (new) tobacco-related cancer.5,13
An ostomy (or stoma) is a surgical opening made to the body that allows waste to be eliminated from the body.10 Ostomies are used in treatment or management of cancer or other diseases.11 Ostomies are needed when the body’s normal opening is closed or altered as part of cancer treatment. An ostomy pouch is located around the opening to collect waste for removal. Ostomies are usually done during the first stages of surgical treatment to remove cancer.10 For colorectal cancer patients, a colostomy (surgical openings from the bowel or colon to the abdomen) can be a lifesaving surgery.10,11 An ostomy can be temporary or permanent.10,11 Temporary ostomies are used while the affected area of the body heals. Permanent ostomies are used when cancer has resulted in the removal of the entire colon or the end of it.10,11
The United Ostomy Associations of America, Inc. Web site focuses on the positive quality of life people can attain following ostomy surgery and provides information on a variety of topics, including:
- Descriptions of ostomy terms
- Frequently asked questions
- Information about ostomy equipment
- Tips for living with an ostomy
- Resources, including:
- Ways to connect with others who have had ostomy surgery
- Medical information
- Information for specific individuals (e.g., children, women)
- Information about food and nutrition
To see if there is a support group in your area, visit United Ostomy Associations of America, Inc.’s support group Web site.
- National Cancer Institute. What Is Cancer? Defining Cancer [last updated 2015 Feb 9; accessed 2018 Mar 16].
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cancer Prevention [last updated 2018 Mar 1; accessed 2018 Mar 16].
- American Cancer Society. Signs and Symptoms of Cancer [accessed 2018 Apr 19].
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. A Report of the Surgeon General. How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: What It Means to You. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2010 [accessed 2018 Mar 16].
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Let’s Make the Next Generation Tobacco-Free: Your Guide to the 50th Anniversary Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014 [accessed 2018 Mar 16].
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Secondhand Smoke (SHS) Facts [last updated 2017 Feb 21; access