Maintenance therapy

Maintenance therapy is a type of cancer treatment that is used to help keep cancer from coming back after it has disappeared following the initial therapy. It can include chemotherapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy.

Overview

Maintenance therapy is often used for cancers that are not completely curable with the initial treatment, such as lung cancer and ovarian cancer. The goal of maintenance therapy is to prolong the time that the cancer is controlled and improve the patient's quality of life.

Types of Maintenance Therapy

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing.

Hormone Therapy

Hormone therapy is a treatment that removes hormones or blocks their action and stops cancer cells from growing. Hormones are substances made by glands in the body and circulated in the bloodstream.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a type of therapy that uses substances to stimulate or suppress the immune system to help the body fight cancer, infection, and other diseases.

Targeted Therapy

Targeted therapy is a type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells without harming normal cells.

See Also

• Cancer treatment
• Chemotherapy
• Hormone therapy
• Immunotherapy
• Targeted therapy