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You’ll likely have a few cancer treatment options. Your doctor may recommend chemo, hormone, or targeted therapy. You may receive a combination of therapies or something else entirely.

Oncology (cancer) drugs include a range of therapies and medications, such as chemotherapy drugs, targeted therapies, immunotherapies, and hormone therapies.

Drugs are also available to help treat the side effects of cancer drugs.

Chemotherapy drugs destroy fast-growing cells in the body. The goal is to lower the total number of cancer cells in your body and reduce the chances that the cancer will spread (metastasize).

If you have curable cancer, chemo may even be used to cure it.

Your doctor may decide to treat your cancer with a single chemo drug or a combination of drugs. You may receive chemo:

  • as an injection
  • topically
  • orally as a pill

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved nearly 300 anticancer drugs. Of these, a multitude of chemo drugs are available, including:

Hormone therapy is used to treat cancers that rely on hormones to grow. Treatment blocks or alters the hormones involved in the growth of the cancer. This may include certain types of breast cancer and prostate cancer.

This therapy may be used alongside other treatments, including radiation or surgery.

Some examples of hormone therapies include:

Learn how hormone therapy treats prostate and breast cancer.

Targeted therapies are part of an approach known as personalized medicine or precision medicine. They block the molecular pathways that are critical to tumor growth.

These oral or intravenous (IV) administered drugs “target” cancerous cells or certain receptors on cancer cells without harming other cells in your body.

A doctor will first perform genetic or biomarker testing to determine whether you’re eligible for a particular targeted therapy.

The results will allow your doctor to make an informed decision about which drug is more likely to work for your type of cancer, based on the genetic mutations and other molecular characteristics of the tumor.

Examples of targeted therapy drugs include:

Immunotherapy uses your body’s immune system to find and attack cancer cells. Cancer cells sometimes have strategic ways of hiding from your immune system, but immunotherapies block these mechanisms.

Immunotherapy is available as an infusion or orally as a pill or capsule.

You may receive immunotherapy alone or with other types of treatment. It works better for some cancers than for others.

Immunotherapies are FDA approved to treat a variety of cancers. Examples include:

To counter the side effects of cancer drugs, your oncologist may prescribe supportive drugs or pre-medications. These include:

  • drug to treat low white blood cell counts (neutropenia) and prevent infections, such as pegfilgrastim (Neulasta) or filgrastim (Neupogen)
  • anti-nausea medications
  • pain medications

Ask your doctor about their recommendations for medications to help prevent or reduce side effects from your cancer treatment.

Benefits of cancer drugs

Depending on your type of cancer, these drugs may:

  • prevent the spread of cancer to other parts of the body
  • slow cancer growth
  • shrink a tumor so it’s easier to surgically remove
  • reduce the size of tumors if they put pressure on another body part, such as the spine
  • destroy cancer cells that remain after surgery or radiation
  • improve outcomes from other treatments
  • cure cancer
  • decrease the risk of death

Risks and side effects of cancer drugs

Because chemotherapy attacks regular cells in your body — especially blood cells, skin, hair, and the cells lining your intestine and mouth — it may cause serious side effects that negatively impact your quality of life.

Common side effects of chemotherapy include:

Targeted therapies and immunotherapies often have fewer side effects compared to chemo since they only attack cancer cells while sparing regular cells from harm, but they may still cause side effects:

Hormone therapies may block your body’s ability to make hormones and may interfere with how hormones act in your body. Some common side effects of hormone therapies include:

  • hot flashes
  • fatigue
  • tender breasts
  • loss of interest in sex
  • mood changes
  • nausea
  • diarrhea

Apart from cancer drugs, other treatments available for cancer, include:

Other alternative treatments, such as acupuncture, meditation, and herbal supplements, may help with the side effects of cancer treatment but are ineffective at treating the cancer itself.

Speak with your doctor about which treatment options are right for you. They may recommend a combination of therapy drugs and alternative treatments.

Do I get a say in my cancer treatment?

Yes, you have a say in your cancer treatment, including making the decision to delay treatment or not have treatment at all. You can also seek a second opinion from another qualified doctor.

Don’t hesitate to ask your doctor for resources so you can do your own research on available treatments before you make a decision.

How do I find out about experimental treatments?

Ask your doctor about clinical trials taking place in your area. The National Institutes of Health maintains a large database of clinical trials at clinicaltrials.gov.

You can also search the National Cancer Institute’s online tool or contact them for help at 800-4-CANCER.

How does a doctor decide which cancer treatment is best?

Your oncologist will formulate a recommended treatment plan based on:

  • the type of cancer you have
  • the stage or grade of the cancer
  • the characteristics of your tumor
  • your age
  • your overall health
  • other considerations

Your oncologist may perform molecular testing on your tumor, among other imaging and blood tests. They’ll likely consult with medical guidelines, such as those set forth by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

Your doctor may recommend one type of cancer drug or a combination of drugs alongside surgery, radiation, or other types of treatment.

Before deciding to move forward with a cancer drug, learn as much as you can about the recommended treatment.

Ask your doctor about the benefits and risks of your recommended treatment plan and work together to make an informed decision.

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