Treatment

Once you’ve received a detailed cancer diagnosis, your care team will begin creating your treatment plan. Your treatment for cancer is fully personalized to your specific needs, and it can look very different between patients, even if they have the same type of cancer. What type of cancer you have, the stage of your cancer, your current health issues, and even your personal choices are all considered when deciding the best course of treatment. Sometimes, more than one treatment option may be looked at. At Baptist Health, your doctor will explain the pros and cons of each plan and work with you to choose the best path forward.

Each treatment for cancer may involve one, several, or all of the following: surgery, medications, and radiation. At UAMS Baptist Health Cancer Centers, we provide every part of your cancer treatment plan, so you can rely on the strongest support in healthcare through every step of your cancer journey.

Surgery

Surgery is a treatment for cancer used to take out the cancerous tumor or cells from the body. These procedures can range from quick and less invasive surgeries to major ones where whole organs or body parts are removed. The type of surgery depends on the kind of cancer you have and how far it has spread.

Medications

The most well-known medication for cancer is chemotherapy, usually given through an IV at an infusion center. Chemotherapy can also be taken as a pill. Chemotherapy, also called medical oncology or hematology, kills or slows the growth of cancer cells. While it can be very effective, it may also cause tough side effects, like nausea, tiredness, and hair loss. At Baptist Health, your care team provides many resources to help ease these side effects as much as possible.

Other cancer medicines include targeted therapy, which attacks certain parts of cancer cells, and immunotherapy, which helps the body’s immune system fight cancer cells.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation uses strong energy beams to kill cancer cells. These beams are like an x-ray but much stronger. Radiation treatments usually only last a few minutes. This is another powerful option in your treatment for cancer plan.