Understand Treating Cancer Before You Regret it!

VIDEO: You should know Clinical Oncology from Diagnosis to Treatment

Understand what your diagnosis means, what might happen now and your options.
Who will be involved in my treatment decision?
Get to know the people who will be in your medical team.
Questions to ask
See examples of questions you could ask.
Coming to your decision
Find out your options and how to make a decision.
Surgery
Surgery involves removing all or part of the cancer with an operation. It is an important treatment for many cancers.

Surgery explained
Understand surgery – how to prepare, what happens and recovery.
Having breast reconstruction
It will help to know how to prepare for surgery, and what to expect when you’re recovering.
Types of breast reconstruction
If you have surgery to your breasts you might consider breast reconstruction. There are different types, with different benefits and risks.
Hysterectomy
A hysterectomy is an operation to remove the womb. Different types of hysterectomy can be used to treat cancer.
Risk-reducing breast surgery
If you have an increased risk of breast cancer you might be offered surgery to reduce the risk.
Pelvic exenteration in men
Pelvic exenteration is sometimes used to treat cancer in the pelvis (the area of the body between the hips).
Pelvic exenteration in women
Pelvic exenteration is sometimes used to treat cancer in the pelvis (the area of the body between the hips).

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses drugs to treat many different types of cancer. It is most commonly given as an injection into a vein or as tablets or capsules.
Chemotherapy explained
Chemotherapy uses drugs to treat cancer. Understand how chemotherapy works and how you can prepare.
Being treated with chemotherapy
Different types of chemotherapy can be given in different ways.
Chemotherapy drugs and combination regimens
Find information about a chemotherapy drug or combination regimen through our A-Z list.
Side effects of chemotherapy
There are different possible side effects and ways to deal with them.
If you are pregnant
If you are pregnant and need chemotherapy, you will need to discuss this very carefully with your medical team.
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is the use of high-energy rays, usually x-rays and similar rays (such as electrons) to treat cancer.
Radiotherapy explained
Understand how radiotherapy works and how you can prepare.
External beam radiotherapy explained
What happens, how radiotherapy works, and what to expect.
Internal radiotherapy explained
Different methods of internal radiotherapy can be used to treat some cancers.
Pelvic radiotherapy explained
Radiotherapy to the pelvis can cause different side effects.
Hormonal
Therapies
Some cancers depend on hormones to grow. Find out about different hormonal therapies and how they work.

Hormonal therapies explained
Hormonal therapies alter specific hormones to change how cells work.
Individual hormonal therapies
Find out about different hormonal therapies and how they work.

Stem Cell And
Bone Marrow Transplants
Stem cell and bone marrow transplants are used with high-dose chemotherapy to treat and control some cancers.
Stem cell and bone marrow transplants explained
Find out how stem cell and bone marrow transplants work when you need high dose chemotherapy.
Being treated with allogeneic (donor) stem cell transplants
Get information about having a transplant of stem cells from another person.
Being treated with high-dose treatment with stem cell support
You might have high dose treatment using your own cells, also called autologous treatment.
Side effects of allogeneic (donor) stem cell transplants
Get information about what to expect after you’ve had a transplant of stem cells from a donor.
Side effects of high-dose treatment with stem cell support
Find out about how to cope with possible side effects of a high-dose treatment with stem cell support.

Supportive And
Other Treatments
Other treatments can be used as part of the main cancer treatment and to treat side-effects.
Supportive therapies
You might have other treatments alongside the cancer treatment.
Other treatments
Get information about some more specialised treatments.
Bisphosphonates
You might be give bisphosphonates to strengthen your bones.

Clinical
Trials
Many people are offered a trial as part of treatment. Find out more to help you decide if a trial is right for you.

What does a clinical trial involve?
Doctors use trials to improve cancer treatment and care. Find out how.
Can and should I take part?
It’s your decision whether to take part. Find out more to help you decide.

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