When researching treatments, you will likely come across advertisements for products or services that claim to treat or cure cancer. There are several types of such alternative treatments advertised, especially on the Internet. They all claim to help. However, before investing time and money on any of them, it’s important to evaluate the claims carefully, check them out using the resources given in this article, and talk with your doctor.

Cancer and cancer treatments may cause side effects that require the immediate attention of your doctor and health care team. In this article, learn about the signs and symptoms of infections, deep vein thrombosis (a potentially life-threatening blood clot), and tumor lysis syndrome (a condition that can cause organ failure)—all of which require an immediate call to your doctor.

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.

Some people with cancer receiving chemotherapy may need to have an electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) or an echocardiogram (also known as an echo test) during their cancer treatment. These procedures, along with others such as a MUGA scan, will monitor your heart function and check for existing heart conditions.

A growing area of cancer research, called cancer genome research, studies the differences in genes found in tumors to understand which ones are important. Different genes are involved in different tumor types, and understanding what genes are important to the development of cancer may lead to improvements in detecting, diagnosing, and treating cancer.

For early-stage breast cancer, doctors generally recommend surgery to remove the tumor. Some women can choose between two types of surgery: a lumpectomy or mastectomy, although lumpectomy is not always a recommended option. To help women talk with their doctors about this decision, Cancer.Net spoke with Julie Gralow, MD.

Immunotherapy (also called biologic therapy or biotherapy) is a type of cancer treatment that uses the body's immune system to fight cancer. There are several types of immunotherapy, including monoclonal antibodies, non-specific immunotherapies, and cancer vaccines.

Personalized medicine involves selecting treatments based on a person’s unique genetic makeup and the genetic makeup of the tumor. By performing more genetic tests and analysis, doctors may customize treatment to each patient’s needs.

An abstract is a summary of a research study that allows readers to quickly learn about the important aspects of a study. In medical journals, an abstract is usually presented at the beginning of the published article. Although the intended audiences for most abstracts are medical and scientific professionals, it is becoming more common for patients and their friends and family members to read abstracts while learning about cancer and researching treatment options.

Once a person has been diagnosed with cancer, it is natural to want to start treatment as quickly as possible. Often, the extra time needed to perform additional tests or obtain additional consultations may lead to anxiety that the delay will be harmful. It is important to understand, though, that taking the time needed for a thorough medical evaluation works to your advantage and does not hurt your chances of getting the best results from treatment.