• Learn about cancer
  • What is cancer?
  • What causes cancer?
  • Detecting cancer
  • Cancer treatment
    • Surgery
    • Radiotherapy
    • Chemotherapy
    • Immunotherapy
    • Hormone therapy
    • Gene therapy
• Cancers at a glance
• Research highlights
• About cancer research
• Understanding 'risk'
• Our history and achievements

Cancer treatment

There is no single treatment for cancer - doctors have a range of options available and must decide which is best for the patient. They will often combine several types of treatment for greater effect, taking into account all sorts of factors.

For example, the patient's age, history and lifestyle are very important in deciding on the best treatment. Doctors will involve the patient in the decision as much as possible.

Cancer Research UK is funding research to develop a new generation of highly specific cancer treatments.

There are currently many different ways to treat cancer.

• Surgery
• Radiotherapy
• Chemotherapy
• Hormone therapy
• Immunotherapy
• Gene therapy