Cancer Therapy Flashcards
What are the main modalities of cancer treatment
Surgery
Chemo
Radiation
What are the goals of therapy
Palliative or Definitive
What are the BASIC guidleines for choosing a therapy
local treatment for local disease
Systemic treatment for systemic disease
What is surgery best suited for
Local tumor control
What are the goals of chemo
Achieve and maintain remission
Slow the progression of a metastatic disease
Maintain QOL
Prolong survival
What is chemo best suited for
Systemic disease - cancer that originates in multiple locations
What does the efficacy of chemo depend on
Tumor type
Extent of disease
Does chemo work for pulmonary mets
In general, no
What are some examples of local chemotherapy
Intralesional
beads
Intracavity
What is radiation best suited for
Microscopic disease or palliative care
Diseases in areas that are hard to reach (nasal cavity, brain, etc)
