There are three main treatment options for cancer: chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. An oncologist will explain your treatment plan to you and can answer any questions you may have.

• Chemotherapy uses drugs, hormones or biological agents to treat widespread cancer. Chemotherapy is given intravenously, by injections or in pill form. Your treatment length depends on the type of disease and stage of cancer, and the drugs prescribed to treat you. Of all cancer patients, about half will need chemotherapy and half will need radiation therapy. You may also receive a combination of chemotherapy and radiation.

  
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• If you are from the region, your first chemotherapy treatment is usually given in Thunder Bay. Wherever possible, future treatments are given as close to home as possible in one of the 13 regional clinics. You are treated as an outpatient at the cancer centre if your treatment length is seven hours or less. For longer treatments, we will admit you to our dedicated Oncology Inpatient area, Unit 1A.

  
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• Radiation therapy uses radiation similar to x-rays to destroy cancerous cells or shrink the tumours. External or internal radiation is used. External radiation uses large, state of the art, computerized machines to deliver radiation precisely to the area with cancer. Internal radiation places radioactive seeds in contact with the cancer, in the area from which the cancer was removed, or inside the tumour for certain disease types.

  
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Treatments may have some side effects, which will affect each patient differently. You may have a few side effects or none at all. Side effects may include:

Your oncologist will explain the side effects that are most common to the treatment and make recommendations on what you can do if a side effect occurs.