Cancer therapies can be grouped as:

•   surgery,

•   radiation,

•   chemotherapy,

• targeted, and

•   alternative medicines.

For any therapy, ask what the goals, the risks, and the potential benefits are. Depending on the cancer, surgery alone can potentially cure the disease. Over half the people in the United States are cured of their cancer. Cure means there has been no measurable disease by any test for a prolonged period of time. Radiation or chemotherapy can be used to add to surgery and enhance the chance of cure. If the surgery comes first and radiation and/or chemotherapy comes second, that is called adjuvant therapy.  It is called neoadjuvant therapy if the surgery comes second. Radiation and chemotherapy can also be used to control the cancer for a period of time when cure is not possible. Traditional chemotherapy alone is also potentially a cure when used in selected cancers. 

Targeted therapy is presently being tested either to increase the chance of cure or to control the cancer for a period of time. The concept is that cancer cells have specific biochemical "targets" on them, or the tissues that let cancers grow such as blood vessel cells have specific biochemical "targets." New targets are constantly being defined by cancer researchers. The treatment of cancers relies on the use of traditional chemotherapies or a combination of traditional and targeted therapies. All of these therapies have the potential to help you, but they also all have side effects. Be aware of them as you choose or agree with the therapy your physician suggests. 

Alternative medicines are most frequently chosen by a patient to meet their goals. No one has ever been reported to be cured of a cancer by alternative therapies alone.