We as a society have made great strides in improving the effectiveness of cancer treatments that are available for patients today. Perhaps one of the most delicate subjects in modern medical practice would be the discussion of treatment options for cancer, no matter what type of cancer is being discussed between doctor and patient:

1. Chemotherapy
One of the most common types of targeted therapy for cancer and the treatment type that most patients will have already been aware of. Chemotherapy utilizes certain drugs in order to kill cancer cells from the inside out. This therapy may cause temporary to longer-term side-effects, though most will disperse sometime after treatment is through.Common chemotherapy side-effects may include:

• Damage to the inside of the mouth and intestines
• Damage to hair cells, leading to hair loss
• Mouth sores
• Nausea and vomiting
• Anemia (low red blood cell counts)
• Constipation

2. Radiation therapy
Another common treatment for many types of cancer. Radiation therapy uses concentrated doses of radiation on areas of the body affected, in order to kill off cancer cells from the outside of the patient. There are quite a few types of radiation therapy, which will differ depending on what type of cancer the patient is treating. The two types are internal and external. Factors that determine the radiation administered include:

• Tumor size
• Type of cancer
• Location of tumor in body
• Patient’s current health and their medical history
• If other treatments are also needed
• Miscellaneous factors, including age and hereditary issues

3. Immunotherapy
This type of cancer treatment helps the patient’s immune system to fight back against cancer cells. The sub-type of this treatment would be biological. This is due to the fact that doctors would be using the patient’s’ natural biological makeup in reaction to substances composed of living organisms to effectively work together as a means to combat cancer from the inside out. There are many types of immunotherapy, which would differ depending on what type of cancer the patient is currently experiencing. Types of immunotherapy may include:

• Treatment Vaccines
• Adoptive Cell Transfer
• Antibodies
• Cytokines
• Checkpoint Inhibitors

4. Surgery
Surgery often happens in conjunction with other types of therapy. This often includes the surgical removal of cancerous tumors and cells. There are two types of surgeries for cancer currently available include open surgery and minimally invasive surgery (i.e., laproscopic surgery).

5. Clinical trials
A cancer trial will differ, depending on the uniqueness of the treatment type being explored or the medication being taken during trial. These trials may include targeted therapy for cancer, which would be intensive treatment targeting cancer cells in order to target changes in them. Clinical trials are always being held in order to improve our understanding of cancer and thus get closer to achieving more solid treatment plans for patients of the future. As technology improves over the years, so do the types of treatments offered. Through numerous cancer trial treatments and those that have been long withstanding, doctors all over the world are doing their best to improve modern medicine to minimize any discomforts of unfortunate side-effects that may occur with certain treatments. Either happening in conjunction or after treatment is completely through.