More and better types of cancer treatment are being developed all of the time. The most recent are those that are in clinical trials. There are many different types of treatments for cancer. The most common treatments for cancer include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. But scientists are also working on hormonal therapy, using different combinations of drugs to be more specific to your type of cancer or to reduce the side effects of cancer treatment. They are also working on genetic and treatments that go deep into the cancer cells (molecular). Some other treatments are designed to stop the cancer from growing, but those do not actually cure the cancer. This means that the cancer is not likely to cause your death, but the treatment keeps the cancer from growing or spreading. Anti-angiogenesis is an example of this type of treatment.

Annie Krause Williams (Yupik) Dx 1992 Breast Cancer

"I don't know what to do, just like I, just really hurt just like somebody you know put me down, really weak, but I didn't say nothing. Oh, doctor told me about the cancer they told me they don't grow fast, they grow for really slow so I told myself I think I'm not going to die (laughter). That's what I really think, I think I'm not going to die today or this winter." to play Video Vignette - click audio only

Candi Miller (Haida) Dx 1994 Breast Cancer

"I had a biopsy. Shortly after that, I mean within a week arrangements were made with a local surgeon to have my breast removed and uhm I just felt very rushed and pressured. The breast was removed and I had the immediate reconstruction following that, it was a very long surgery. Within the first few days of my surgery that I was the only one uh that could really get myself breathing and walking and back into life and uh actually being in the hospital and seeing other people who were really very seriously ill helped in getting up and working towards recovering." to play Video Vignette - click audio only

This branch includes a brief description about the more common types of cancer treatment (surgery, chemotherapy and radiation). It will describe these treatments, common side effects from each and examples of the types of questions you may want to ask the provider about the treatment.

Information about genetic, molecular anti-angiogenesis and other newer types of treatment, will eventually be on the branch, "New Treatments" under the limb, "Treatments" (based on funding)click on the branch called "Clinical Trials". Information about new clinical trial treatments are described in the limb called "Clinical Trials".