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Questions About Cancer? 1-800-4-CANCER

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Fact Sheets: Cancer Therapy

Access to Investigational Drugs
(Reviewed: 08/04/2009) - A fact sheet that defines investigational drugs (drugs under study but not yet FDA approved) and describes the special conditions under which patients and their doctors can apply to receive these treatments.

Adjuvant and Neoadjuvant Therapy for Breast Cancer
(Reviewed: 06/16/2009) - A fact sheet that explains different types of adjuvant therapy (treatment given after primary therapy to increase the chance of long-term survival) and neoadjuvant therapy (treatment given before primary therapy). Discusses side effects, risks, and benefits of adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy for breast cancer.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors
(Reviewed: 10/07/2011) - A fact sheet that describes the process of eliminating the blood supply to tumors. Lists the cancers in which this approach is being tested.

Biological Therapies for Cancer
(Reviewed: 06/13/2006) - A fact sheet that provides an overview of how the immune system functions and describes the actions of biological therapies.

Bone Marrow Transplantation and Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation
(Reviewed: 09/24/2010) - A fact sheet that explains the step-by-step procedures of two types of transplantations used with high-dose chemotherapy, including their risks and benefits.

Cancer Clinical Trials
(Reviewed: 04/27/2010) - A fact sheet that describes types of clinical trials, who sponsors them, how they are conducted, how participants are protected, and who pays for the patient care costs associated with a clinical trial.

Cancer Vaccines
(Reviewed: 11/15/2011) - A fact sheet that discusses cancer vaccines. Explains how they work, how they are made, and describes research related to their use.

Cryosurgery in Cancer Treatment: Questions and Answers
(Reviewed: 09/10/2003) - A fact sheet that describes cryosurgery, the technique of using extreme cold to treat tumors. Lists the indications, risks, benefits, and side effects of cryotherapy.

Drug Discovery at the National Cancer Institute: Fact Sheet
(Reviewed: 06/06/2006) - A fact sheet about how the National Cancer Institute (NCI) has played an active role in the development of drugs for cancer treatment for over 40 years.

Follow-up Care After Cancer Treatment
(Reviewed: 05/17/2010) - A fact sheet that provides information about follow-up medical care for patients who have completed cancer treatment.

Gene Therapy for Cancer: Questions and Answers
(Reviewed: 08/31/2006) - A fact sheet that discusses research with genetic material in developing cancer therapies, including risks, benefits, and ethical issues.

Herceptin® (Trastuzumab): Questions and Answers
(Reviewed: 06/13/2006) - A fact sheet that describes Herceptin, a monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of cancer. Includes information about common and serious side effects of the therapy.

Hormone Therapy for Breast Cancer
(Reviewed: 08/02/2012) - A fact sheet that describes hormone therapy and its role in preventing and treating breast cancer. Includes information about possible side effects and drugs that can interfere with hormone therapy.

How To Find a Doctor or Treatment Facility If You Have Cancer
(Reviewed: 06/29/2009) - A fact sheet that offers suggestions for choosing a physician and facility for cancer treatment.

Hyperthermia in Cancer Treatment
(Reviewed: 08/31/2011) - A fact sheet that defines hyperthermia (treating tumors with heat) and its side effects.

Lasers in Cancer Treatment
(Reviewed: 09/13/2011) - A fact sheet that describes use of high-intensity light in cancer treatment, its advantages and disadvantages, and types of procedures that use it.

Photodynamic Therapy for Cancer
(Reviewed: 09/06/2011) - A fact sheet that explains photodynamic therapy, how it is administered, and indications and side effects of treatment.

Preventive Mastectomy
(Reviewed: 07/27/2006) - A fact sheet that describes preventive mastectomy, in what situations it may be considered, and options for breast reconstruction after mastectomy.

Radiation Therapy for Cancer
(Reviewed: 06/30/2010) - A fact sheet that defines the different types of radiation therapy and discusses scientific advances that improve the effectiveness of this treatment.

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy
(Reviewed: 08/11/2011) - A fact sheet that describes the sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) procedure, its use in determining the extent, or stage, of cancer in the body, and the results of research on the use of SLNB in breast cancer and melanoma.

Targeted Cancer Therapies
(Reviewed: 09/07/2012) - A fact sheet that describes targeted cancer therapies, which are drugs that block the growth and spread of cancer by interfering with specific molecules involved in carcinogenesis (the process by which normal cells are transformed into cancer cells) and tumor growth.