Each individual is unique; and thus, while one specific protocol may be the best treatment for one individual, it may not necessarily be the most appropriate for the next individual with the same disease. Therefore, it is essential to speak with your individual board certified physicians who have a better understanding of your unique anatomy and stage of disease. There are mainstay treatments and standards of care that can help guide your research when determining the best treatment option for your unique cancer.
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Those mainstay therapies include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Some tumors can be completely resected and may be the only treatment modality necessary for curing one’s cancer. However, that is something that must be discussed with one’s individual team of physicians who are better equipped to determine the most appropriate treatment plan that is unique to the individual patient. Other treatment modalities include radiation therapy. Radiation therapy may be appropriate and offer added benefit to kill those cancer cells in localized area. Chemotherapy may also be used, especially if there is distant spread of the cancer to other areas of the body. Chemotherapy works by entering the bloodstream and killing those cancer cells that have traveled through the blood to other tissues and organs.
There may even be clinical indications in which more than one of these treatments may be used to cure one’s cancer. As discussed, each individual is unique and thus his/her treatment plan should reflect that individualized standard. Please discuss any questions and/or concerns regarding your individual treatment plan with your team of board certified physicians.