Many treatment options for<unk>  exist. The primary ones include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, targeted therapy and palliative<unk> re. Which treatments are used depends on the type, location and grade of the<unk>  as well as the patient's health and preferences. The treatment intent may or may not be curative. Chemotherapy Chemotherapy is the treatment of<unk>  with one or more cytotoxic anti-neoplastic drugs (chemotherapeutic agents) as part of a standardized regimen. The term encompasses a variety of drugs, which are divided into broad<unk> tegories such as alkylating agents and antimetabolites. Traditional chemotherapeutic agents act by killing cells that divide rapidly, a critical property of most<unk>  cells. It was found that providing combined cytotoxic drugs is better than a single drug; a process<unk> lled the combination therapy; which has an advantage in the statistics of survival and response to the tumor and in the progress of the disease. A Cochrane review concluded that combined therapy was more effective to treat metastasized breast<unk> . However, generally it is not certain whether combination chemotherapy leads to better health outcomes, when both survival and toxicity are considered. Targeted therapy is a form of chemotherapy that targets specific molecular differences between<unk>  and normal cells. The first targeted therapies blocked the estrogen receptor molecule, inhibiting the growth of breast<unk> . Another common example is the class of Bcr-Abl inhibitors, which are used to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Currently, targeted therapies exist for many of the most common<unk>  types, including bladder<unk> , breast<unk> , colorectal<unk> , kidney<unk> , leukemia, liver<unk> , lung<unk> , lymphoma, pancreatic<unk> , prostate<unk> , skin<unk> , and thyroid<unk>  as well as other<unk>  types. The efficacy of chemotherapy depends on the type of<unk>  and the stage. In combination with surgery, chemotherapy has proven useful in<unk>  types including breast<unk> , colorectal<unk> , pancreatic<unk> , osteogenic sarcoma, testicular<unk> , ovarian<unk>  and certain lung<unk> s. Chemotherapy is curative for some<unk> s, such as some leukemias, ineffective in some brain tumors, and needless in others, such as most non-melanoma skin<unk> s. The effectiveness of chemotherapy is often limited by its toxicity to other tissues in the body. Even when chemotherapy does not provide a permanent cure, it may be useful to reduce symptoms such as pain or to reduce the size of an inoperable tumor in the hope that surgery will become possible in the future. Radiation Radiation therapy involves the use of ionizing radiation in an attempt to either cure or improve symptoms. It works by damaging the DNA of<unk> ous tissue, killing it. To spare normal tissues (such as skin or organs, which radiation must pass through to treat the tumor), shaped radiation beams are aimed from multiple exposure angles to intersect at the tumor, providing a much larger dose there than in the surrounding, healthy tissue. As with chemotherapy,<unk> s vary in their response to radiation therapy. Radiation therapy is used in about half of<unk> ses. The radiation<unk> n be either from internal sources (brachytherapy) or external sources. The radiation is most commonly low energy X-rays for treating skin<unk> s, while higher energy X-rays are used for<unk> s within the body. Radiation is typically used in addition to surgery and or chemotherapy. For certain types of<unk> , such as early head and neck<unk> , it may be used alone. For painful bone metastasis, it has been found to be effective in about 70% of patients. Surgery Surgery is the primary method of treatment for most isolated, solid<unk> s and may play a role in palliation and prolongation of survival. It is typically an important part of definitive diagnosis and staging of tumors, as biopsies are usually required. In localized<unk> , surgery typically attempts to remove the entire mass along with, in certain<unk> ses, the lymph nodes in the area. For some types of<unk>  this is sufficient to eliminate the<unk> . Palliative<unk> re Palliative<unk> re is treatment that attempts to help the patient feel better and may be combined with an attempt to treat the<unk> . Palliative<unk> re includes action to reduce physical, emotional, spiritual and psycho-social distress. Unlike treatment that is aimed at directly killing<unk>  cells, the primary goal of palliative<unk> re is to improve quality of life. People at all stages of<unk>  treatment typically receive some kind of palliative<unk> re. In some<unk> ses, medical specialty professional organizations recommend that patients and physicians respond to<unk>  only with palliative<unk> re. This applies to patients who: # display low performance status, implying limited ability to<unk> re for themselves # received no benefit from prior evidence-based treatments # are not eligible to participate in any appropriate clinical trial # no strong evidence implies that treatment would be effective Palliative<unk> re may be confused with hospice and therefore only indicated when people approach end of life. Like hospice<unk> re, palliative<unk> re attempts to help the patient cope with their immediate needs and to increase comfort. Unlike hospice<unk> re, palliative<unk> re does not require people to stop treatment aimed at the<unk> . Multiple national medical guidelines recommend early palliative<unk> re for patients whose<unk>  has produced distressing symptoms or who need help coping with their illness. In patients first diagnosed with metastatic disease, palliative<unk> re may be immediately indicated. Palliative<unk> re is indicated for patients with a prognosis of less than 12 months of life even given aggressive treatment. Immunotherapy A variety of therapies using immunotherapy, stimulating or helping the immune system to fight<unk> , have come into use since 1997. Approaches include antibodies, checkpoint therapy, and adoptive cell transfer. Laser therapy Laser therapy uses high-intensity light to treat<unk>  by shrinking or destroying tumors or precancerous growths. Lasers are most commonly used to treat superficial<unk> s that are on the surface of the body or the lining of internal organs. It is used to treat basal cell skin<unk>  and the very early stages of others like cervical, penile, vaginal, vulvar, and non-small cell lung<unk> . It is often combined with other treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy. Laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy (LITT), or interstitial laser photocoagulation, uses lasers to treat some<unk> s using hyperthermia, which uses heat to shrink tumors by damaging or killing<unk>  cells. Laser are more precise than surgery and<unk> use less damage, pain, bleeding, swelling, and scarring. A disadvantage is surgeons must have specialized training. It may be more expensive than other treatments. Alternative medicine Complementary and alternative<unk>  treatments are a diverse group of therapies, practices and products that are not part of conventional medicine. "Complementary medicine" refers to methods and substances used along with conventional medicine, while "alternative medicine" refers to compounds used instead of conventional medicine. Most complementary and alternative medicines for<unk>  have not been studied or tested using conventional techniques such as clinical trials. Some alternative treatments have been investigated and shown to be ineffective but still continue to be marketed and promoted.<unk>  researcher Andrew J. Vickers stated, "The label 'unproven' is inappropriate for such therapies; it is time to assert that many alternative<unk>  therapies have been 'disproven'."
Cancer
Anorexia nervosa
Disease
Heartburn
Cardiovascular disease
Vaginitis
Skin cancer
Neuropathic pain