What is cancer?

There are many different ways that doctors treat cancer. The type of cancer treatment you receive will depend on the kind of cancer you have, if it has spread, your current fitness and general health, as well as your treatment preferences. Your doctor will personalise your treatment plan specific to your needs.

Cancer occurs when cells in the body grow in an abnormal and uncontrolled way and can spread to other areas of the body. This uncontrolled growth can lead to benign or malignant lumps, known as tumours, forming.

• Benign tumours usually grow slowly and don’t spread throughout the body, generally only becoming an issue if they grow very large and disrupt the normal functioning of your body.
• Malignant tumours are made up of rapidly-growing cancer cells which have the ability to destroy tissue and spread.

Types of cancer treatments

Cancer may be treated by surgery, radiation therapy, or drug therapy. Cancer drug therapy includes chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy. These modalities may be administered either on their own, or in various combinations. For example, chemotherapy is frequently combined with targeted therapy.

• Chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy (‘Hormonal therapy’)
• Targeted therapy
• Immunotherapy
• Radiation therapy

For further information on cancer treatments offered at Icon, click here.

If you, a friend or family member have been diagnosed with cancer, it can be very overwhelming to find the information you need or remember all the details. We encourage you to look through the resources on our website, which can help you take the next step during this difficult time and gain a better understanding of cancer. Click here to access the Cancer Information Library.