When was cancer diagnosed

Cancer Prevention Overview. Cancer Screening Overview. Screening Tests. Diagnosis and Staging. Questions to Ask about Your Diagnosis. Types of Cancer Treatment. Side Effects of Cancer Treatment. Clinical Trials Information. A to Z List of Cancer Drugs. Questions to Ask about Your Treatment. Feelings and Cancer.

Adjusting to Cancer. Day-to-Day Life. Support for Caregivers. Questions to Ask About Cancer. Choices for Care. Talking about Your Advanced Cancer. Planning for Advanced Cancer. Advanced Cancer and Caregivers. Questions to Ask about Advanced Cancer. Managing Cancer Care. Finding Health Care Services.

Advance Directives. Using Trusted Resources. Coronavirus Information for Patients. Clinical Trials during Coronavirus. Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer. Emotional Support for Young People with Cancer.

Cancers by Body Location. Late Effects of Childhood Cancer Treatment. Pediatric Supportive Care. Rare Cancers of Childhood Treatment. Childhood Cancer Genomics. Study Findings. Metastatic Cancer Research. Intramural Research. Extramural Research. Cancer Research Workforce. Partners in Cancer Research. What Are Cancer Research Studies.

Research Studies. Get Involved. Cancer Biology Research. Cancer Genomics Research. Research on Causes of Cancer. Cancer Prevention Research. Cancer Treatment Research. Cancer Health Disparities. Childhood Cancers Research. Global Cancer Research. Cancer Research Infrastructure. Clinical Trials. Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research. Bioinformatics, Big Data, and Cancer. Annual Report to the Nation.

Research Advances by Cancer Type. Stories of Discovery. Milestones in Cancer Research and Discovery. Biomedical Citizen Science. Director's Message. Budget Proposal. Stories of Cancer Research. Driving Discovery. Highlighted Scientific Opportunities. Research Grants. Research Funding Opportunities. Cancer Grand Challenges. Research Program Contacts. Funding Strategy. Your treatment options will depend on several factors, such as the type and stage of your cancer, your general health, and your preferences.

Together you and your doctor can weigh the benefits and risks of each cancer treatment to determine which is best for you. Primary treatment. The goal of a primary treatment is to completely remove the cancer from your body or kill the cancer cells. Any cancer treatment can be used as a primary treatment, but the most common primary cancer treatment for the most common cancers is surgery. If your cancer is particularly sensitive to radiation therapy or chemotherapy, you may receive one of those therapies as your primary treatment.

Adjuvant treatment. The goal of adjuvant therapy is to kill any cancer cells that may remain after primary treatment in order to reduce the chance that the cancer will recur.

Any cancer treatment can be used as an adjuvant therapy. Common adjuvant therapies include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hormone therapy. Palliative treatment. Palliative treatments may help relieve side effects of treatment or signs and symptoms caused by cancer itself. Surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and hormone therapy can all be used to relieve symptoms and control the spread of cancer when a cure isn't possible.

Medications may relieve symptoms such as pain and shortness of breath. Palliative treatment can be used at the same time as other treatments intended to cure your cancer. Bone marrow transplant. Bone marrow transplant is also known as a stem cell transplant. Your bone marrow is the material inside your bones that makes blood cells.

A bone marrow transplant can use your own cells or cells from a donor. A bone marrow transplant allows your doctor to use higher doses of chemotherapy to treat your cancer. It may also be used to replace diseased bone marrow. Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition.

No alternative cancer treatments have been proved to cure cancer. But alternative medicine options may help you cope with side effects of cancer and cancer treatment, such as fatigue, nausea and pain. Talk with your doctor about which alternative medicine options may offer some benefit. Your doctor can also discuss whether these therapies are safe for you or whether they may interfere with your cancer treatment.

A cancer diagnosis can change your life forever. Each person finds his or her own way of coping with the emotional and physical changes cancer brings. But when you're first diagnosed with cancer, sometimes it's difficult to know what to do next. Find someone to talk with. Find a good listener who is willing to listen to you talk about your hopes and fears. This may be a friend or family member. The concern and understanding of a counselor, medical social worker, clergy member or cancer support group also may be helpful.

Ask your doctor about support groups in your area. Start by making an appointment with your doctor if you have any signs or symptoms that worry you.

If your doctor determines that you have cancer, you'll likely be referred to one or more specialists, such as:. Because appointments can be brief, and because there's often a lot information to discuss, it's a good idea to be prepared. Here's some information to help you get ready, and know what to expect from your doctor. Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions can help you make the most of your time together.

List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For cancer, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:. In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, don't hesitate to ask other questions that occur to you. In Greek, these words refer to a crab, most likely applied to the disease because the finger-like spreading projections from a cancer called to mind the shape of a crab.

Galen AD , another Greek physician, used the word oncos Greek for swelling to describe tumors. During the Renaissance, beginning in the 15th century, scientists developed greater understanding of the human body.

Scientists like Galileo and Newton began to use the scientific method, which later was used to study disease. Autopsies, done by Harvey , led to an understanding of the circulation of blood through the heart and body that had until then been a mystery. This laid the foundation for scientific oncology, the study of cancer.