Some cancer treatments target a particular area of the body. These are called localized treatments.

• Surgery. The main treatment approach for many types of cancer is surgical removal of the tumor. This method is normally used for cancers found in one particular part of the body.
• Radiotherapy. High-energy radiation is used to destroy the cancer cells. As this radiation is directed to the affected part of the body, there is risk of slight damage to healthy cells.

Other treatment approaches treat the entire body. This is called systemic treatment.

• Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is the administration of cancer-fighting medication (cytotoxic drugs) to destroy cancer cells. There are many types of chemotherapy drugs, and the choice of which one to use depends on the type of cancer the patient has.
• Hormone therapy. Hormone therapy reduces hormone levels in the body or blocks hormones from affecting cancer cells. Doing so may slow the cancer's growth.
• Targeted therapies. This type of therapy destroys cancer cells, mostly by interfering with the cancer's ability to grow or survive.

It is common for a patient to receive a combination of these therapies.