Cancer

Treatments

Cancer is often treated with a variety of different treatments, depending on what type of cancer it is and how advanced it is. These can include:

• Chemotherapy – where anti cancer drugs are used to destroy the cancerous cells. Sometimes this will be used to shrink the tumour before it’s then removed by a surgeon. People can feel very tired when they are being treated this way.

• Radiotherapy – this uses high energy x-rays to destroy the tumour and the cancer. Sometimes this is used as well as chemotherapy. It can also be given to reduce pain. People being treated this way may find they want to eat or drink less and also feel very tired.

• Surgery – this is when the tumour itself is removed, under anaesthetic, in a hospital. Sometimes this is enough to remove the cancer, sometimes it may need to be used with radiotherapy or chemotherapy as well.

Some cancers cannot be treated. It’s okay to ask adults in your family about whether the person with cancer might die. Or you could ask your doctor for information. It is possible that they might not be able to say for sure that someone will get better and not knowing can be very difficult. Find out more about feelings and how to deal with them.

Who can help?

Other organisations

1. What is cancer?
2. What are the symptoms?
3. How do people get cancer?
4. Who can help?
5. Treatments
6. Other organisations