• Surgery – Surgery is often the first line of options for solid tumors, whenever possible. Surgery may/may not be combined with other modalities. The size, type, location of tumor and factors such as age, and comorbid health of a patient are key determinant factors in choosing surgery.
• Radiation Therapy – High energy waves such as x-rays, gamma rays, or electron beams may be utilized to destroy or shrink tumor cells. You may be advised radiation therapy before or following surgery or chemotherapy. It can also be used for palliation to relieve symptoms of pain provoked by tumor lesions that are inoperable. The outcome of radiation therapy is dependent on various factors such as dose, duration, mode of radiation released, and the properties of the tumor such as its molecular properties, sensitivity to radiation, oxygenation, etc.
• Chemotherapy – Also suggested as “Chemo”, uses drugs that destroy or kill cancerous cells. A wide, modification of chemotherapeutic drugs are available and may be delivered by various modes (Intravenous, intramuscular, intrathecal, intraperitoneal, etc) depending on specific cancer cases. You may receive chemotherapy in combination with surgery and radiation.

In the early stages of cancer, one modality of treatment might be sufficient. In locally advanced stages usually, multiple modalities of treatment are expected. Multimodality treatment helps in decreasing the risk of relapse (recurrence) of cancer and thus helps in enhancing cure rates and survival of patients.

Hence, multimodal treatment has enriched the standard of care in most cancer in advanced stages like breast cancer, head and neck cancers, stomach cancer, pancreatic cancer, etc.

In majority of cancer, however, surgery is the first mode of treatment followed by other modalities of treatment (adjuvant) like chemotherapy and radiotherapy especially Head and Neck cancers, Colon cancers, Pancreas cancer, Breast cancers, Thyroid cancers and soft tissue sarcomas.

In a few other cancers upfront (neoadjuvant) treatment with chemotherapy like stomach, esophagus, ovarian cancers, lung cancers or radiotherapy alone or chemoradiotherapy like rectum, esophagus cancer.

Multidisciplinary tumour (MDT) board – After a biopsy and adequate staging of the cancer, it should be considered with MDT for the best treatment for the patient. But modalities of treatment need to be individualized and tailor-made a few complex cases.  We provide the Best Cancer Treatment and Care at the Best Cancer Hospital in India-Apex Cancer Clinic