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Treatments, Tests, and Procedures
Learn more about the specific medical tests and procedures used to diagnose and treat cancer.
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March 11, 2013
Cancer is a disease that requires specialized treatment, so it is important to find a treatment center that meets your specific needs. This includes finding the right oncologist and finding the right treatment center.
February 26, 2013
There are many different ways chemotherapy (the use of drugs to kill cancer cells) and other drugs to treat the cancer and manage the symptoms can be given to a person with cancer. One of the most common ways is intravenously, meaning the drug goes into a vein. Veins used in intravenous (IV) therapy can be in the arms, neck, or chest.
November 9, 2012
This is the first article in a three-part series, and it provides an overview of the basics of chemotherapy. Other articles in this series address what to expect when receiving chemotherapy and side effects of the treatment.
November 9, 2012
This article—the second in a three-part series—outlines what you will experience before, during, and after treatment. Other articles in this series provide an overview of chemotherapy—including the various types—and describe side effects of the treatment.
November 9, 2012
This is the third article in a three-part series, and it describes side effects of chemotherapy. Other articles in this series provide an overview of chemotherapy—including the various types—and address what to expect before, during, and after treatment.
October 3, 2012
This article is part of a series on common diagnostic tests that tells you how to prepare for the procedure, what happens during the examination, and what to expect after the test is done. A computed tomography (CT) scan, also called a CAT scan, is a diagnostic exam used to detect tumors, determine the stage of the disease and whether cancerous cells have spread, and find out about the effectiveness of cancer treatment.
October 3, 2012
This article is part of a series on common diagnostic tests that tells you how to prepare for the procedure, what happens during the examination, and what to expect after the test is done. A positron emission tomography (PET) scan is a diagnostic examination used to detect cancer, determine the stage of cancer, and evaluate the effectiveness of cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
October 3, 2012
This article is part of a series on common diagnostic tests that tells you how to prepare for the procedure, what happens during the examination, and what to expect after the test is done. An integrated PET-CT scan combines the images from a positron emission tomography (PET) scan and a computed tomography (CT) scan, performed at the same time on the same machine. Together, the two scans create a more complete image than either test can offer alone.
September 12, 2012
Hormone therapy is a treatment option for women with early-stage, hormone-sensitive breast cancer, identified by the presence of hormone receptors. Hormone therapy lowers the risk of recurrence (cancer that returns after treatment) by blocking tumor growth caused by hormones so that cancer cells either die or remain inactive. To learn more about women’s options for hormone therapy and what they should know, Cancer.Net talked with Clifford A. Hudis, MD.
September 5, 2012
An electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) and an echocardiogram (also known as an echo) are tests that check your heart function and identify any issues that might be present. Some people with cancer who receive chemotherapy may need one of these tests, or a multigated acquisition (MUGA) scan, before cancer treatment to identify pre-existing heart conditions or during and after cancer treatment to identify chemotherapy-related heart damage.