Tanner Cancer Care employs a variety of tools to tackle cancer. If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, your treatment plan might involve chemotherapy — often referred to as “chemo” — hormonal therapy, targeted agents, or immunotherapy. The latter two are innovative approaches to types of cancer treatment.

Chemotherapy can be administered alone or, more commonly, in conjunction with other treatments like surgery or radiation therapy. It assists in shrinking tumors before surgical removal or in eradicating undetected tumor cells post-surgery.

Immunotherapy leverages various drugs to activate the body's immune response, effectively turning your body against cancer. Many immunotherapy drugs are still in development but show promise in treating cancer with fewer side effects of chemotherapy. Access to clinical trials ensures early access to the most advanced treatments available.

We proudly offer chemotherapy and immunotherapy services and treatment for blood disorders in partnership with Northwest Georgia Oncology Centers.

How chemotherapy works

Chemotherapy targets fast-growing cells like tumors. It may be used to:

• Cure cancer
• Reduce recurrence risk
• Shrink tumors causing symptoms

Chemotherapy is systemic, affecting the whole body, including healthy cells. The most common side effects of chemotherapy include fatigue.

Types of chemotherapy treatment

There are over 100 different chemotherapy agents, each with unique side effect profiles. Chemotherapy can be used alone or with other treatments like surgery or radiation. It may shrink tumors before surgery or eliminate cancer cells that might not be detected post-surgery, preventing recurrence.

Hormonal therapies, often oral medications, work through hormonal pathways to treat or prevent cancer recurrence. They are generally less toxic but have some side effects of chemotherapy.

Targeted therapies can be oral or intravenous drugs. They target specific processes or surface targets on cancer cells, resulting in lower toxicity to normal cells.

Immunotherapy uses drugs to support your immune response, helping it recognize and fight cancer cells. These drugs promise fewer side effects of chemotherapy. Access to clinical trials ensures early access to advanced treatments.

Your doctor may prescribe multiple drugs at once or change them over time. Your treatment depends on:

How immunotherapy works

Your immune system is already combating abnormal cells, along with protecting from infections and aiding healing.

Immunotherapy harnesses your immune system, teaching it to destroy cancerous cells. It shows promise in slowing or halting cancer growth.

Types of immunotherapy treatment

Similar to chemotherapy, there are multiple types of immunotherapy treatments. Your doctor may recommend:

• Immune checkpoint inhibitors – These treatments unblock the checkpoints cancer cells create to evade the immune system, allowing for a more aggressive response.
• Immune system modulators – This treatment enhances specific immune functions against cancer.
• Monoclonal antibodies – Lab-produced proteins that bind to cancer cells, inhibiting reproduction or marking them for immune targeting.
• Treatment vaccines – These vaccines prepare the immune system to attack cancer.
• T-cell transfer therapy – T cells are engineered to recognize cancer-specific proteins, expanded in number, and reintroduced into your body.

New types and approaches to immunotherapy are constantly being developed. Tanner Cancer Care's board-certified oncologists focus on research to improve outcomes.

We proudly offer these types of cancer treatment for cancer and blood disorders in partnership with Northwest Georgia Oncology Centers.

Managing the side effects of cancer treatment

Managing side effects of cancer treatment is an integral part of your care at Tanner. Report any side effects to your healthcare team.

As part of a regional health system, we offer access to specialists who can help discuss and alleviate these side effects of chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy Frequently Asked Questions

What are the top 3 treatments for cancer?
The top three treatments for cancer typically include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. These may be used alone or in combination depending on the cancer type and stage.

What are 5 types of cancer treatment?
Five common types of cancer treatment are surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy.

Can cancer be cured completely?
Some cancers can be cured, especially if detected early and treated effectively, but the possibility of a cure depends on the cancer type and stage.

What is 90% of cancer caused by?
Approximately 90% of cancers are caused by environmental factors, including lifestyle choices such as smoking, diet and exposure to radiation and pollutants.