Treatment is the process of getting medical or psychological care to get well. It includes detox, medication, counseling, and other therapies. Treatment can be done in a rehab program, a hospital, or an outpatient clinic. It can also include support groups and a healthy lifestyle. Recovery is a long-term journey of sobriety and good health.
Your doctor will help you decide what treatment is right for you. Make sure you understand the pros and cons of each option. For example, some treatments can have side effects, like a loss of appetite or changes in your mood. You may also need to think about how the treatment will affect your daily life, like whether it could interfere with work or other activities.
Cancer treatments use medicine or radiation to kill cancer cells and stop them from growing. The type of treatment you have depends on what kind of cancer you have, how far it has spread, and your general health. Some types of cancer can be treated with surgery or hormone therapy alone. Others need combination treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation.
The earlier you start treatment, the better. If you wait, the cancer might grow more quickly. It might be harder to treat some types of cancer if it has spread. And some types of treatment can cause serious side effects, such as infection or nerve damage.