While receiving a diagnosis of cancer can be scary, it is important to understand that cancer can be treated. Common treatments for cancer include surgery to remove cancerous tissue and radiation and chemotherapy to kill the cancer cells that remain in the body. The type of treatment, or combination of treatments, varies for each patient, and depends on the type and stage of the cancer as well as on a patient's age, health, and personal preferences. Generally, the more advanced the cancer is, the more aggressively it will be treated.

In recent years, researchers have made incredible strides in understanding how cancer works. They are helping to develop new ways to combat cancer at the cellular and molecular levels. Instead of attacking all cells, the way traditional chemotherapy drugs do, these new agents target only specific proteins that are involved in the development of cancer. Most of these therapies are still being evaluated in clinical studies, but they may significantly change the way that cancer is treated in the future.

If you've been given a diagnosis of cancer, work with your physician to find a treatment regimen that is right for you. Each type of treatment has different benefits and potential side effects, so it is important to ask questions and to raise concerns with your physician throughout treatment.

Below are some useful sources of information about cancer treatments: