Cancer treatments

Active surveillance and watchful waiting 

In some cases, your cancer team may suggest delaying treatment and monitoring the cancer instead. This is called active surveillance or watchful waiting. 

During this time tests, such as blood tests, imaging tests, and biopsies, are done on a regular basis to monitor your cancer. If you have any concerns during this time, please talk about them with your cancer clinical team. 

Chimeric Antigen Receptors T-cell (CAR-T) therapy 

CAR-T therapy is a type of immunotherapy and is used to treat certain blood cancers. It works by changing some of your body’s immune cells to make them better at fighting cancer cells. 

• Haematology transplant patients and measles, UHB website
• CAR T-cell therapy, Macmillan Cancer Support

Chemotherapy 

Chemotherapy is used to treat many types of cancers. It can ease cancer symptoms by using drugs to kill the cancer cells and works by stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells that grow and divide quickly. 

When chemotherapy is used with other treatments, it can: 

• make a tumour smaller before surgery or radiation therapy (neoadjuvant) 
• destroy cancer cells that may remain after surgery or radiation therapy (adjuvant) 
• help other treatments work better 
• kill cancer cells that have returned or spread to other parts of the body 

Hormone therapy 

Hormone therapy blocks or lowers the number of hormones in the body to stop or slow down the growth of cancer and can be used alongside other cancer treatments. Hormone therapy blocks the patient’s ability to produce hormones or interferes with how hormones behave, which can cause unwanted side effects. The side effects are dependent on the type of hormone therapy you receive and how your body responds to it. You can talk about any side effects with your oncology team or Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS). 

• Hormone therapy, Cancer Research UK

Immunotherapy 

Immunotherapy uses our immune system to fight cancer. It works by helping the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells. This is a biological type of therapy, and the treatment uses substances from living organisms to treat cancer. 

There are several types of immunotherapies that are used to treat cancer, such as:

• immune checkpoint inhibitors - drugs that block immune checkpoints 
• t-cell transfer therapy - treatment that boosts the natural ability of your t-cells to fight cancer 
• monoclonal antibodies - immune system proteins created in the lab that are designed to bind to specific targets on cancer cells 
• treatment vaccines - work against cancer by boosting your immune system’s response to cancer cells 
• immune system modulators - enhance the body’s immune response against cancer 

The therapy can be given in different ways, including intravenously, orally, topically and intravesical. 

• Immunotherapy, Cancer Research UK

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) 

This treatment is used for several different types of cancer. It uses a drug that is activated by light to kill cancer cells. The light can come from a laser or other source, such as LEDs. The type of drug and light you have depends on where the cancer is in your body. 

PDT is most often used as a local treatment, which means it treats a specific part of the body. It also limits damage to healthy cells due to the photosensitisers, which tend to build up in abnormal cells, and the light is focused directly on them. 

Photodynamic therapy does not cause scarring, which is positive for people with skin cancers and precancers. 

• Photodynamic therapy for cancer, Cancer Research UK
• Birmingham PET Centre, UHB website

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy uses carefully measured doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumours. The treatment is specific to each patient, is painless and takes just a few minutes. 

The area that needs treatment will need to be assessed in a separate ‘pre-treatment planning’ appointment before your radiotherapy begins. In this appointment, the radiotherapy department usually images the area that needs treatment. This is to make sure the radiation is directed to the right area so that you receive the maximum benefits with minimum side effects. 

• Radiotherapy, UHB website

Stem cell transplant 

This procedure restores blood stem cells in people who have had theirs destroyed by the high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy as a result of treating cancer. 

Stem cells are key to our normal development and health from conception through adulthood. 

• Stem cell and bone marrow transplants, Cancer Research UK

Surgery 

Surgery is a medical procedure to examine, remove or repair tissue, including the diagnosis or removal of cancer. The type of surgery you have, and how long you stay in hospital for, depends on your situation. Your cancer team will talk to you about this. 

• Surgery for cancer, Cancer Research UK