Adjuvant Cancer Therapy

At Las Colinas Cancer Center, we are committed to comprehensive cancer care, which means that we provide an integrated approach to treatment - from primary treatment, nutritional guidance, and emotional support, to adjuvant cancer therapy.

Adjuvant cancer therapy refers to the ongoing treatment provided after the primary treatment. For instance, while the primary treatment for breast cancer is a surgery to remove the cancerous tumor, adjuvant cancer therapy is the treatment provided after the surgery - the radiation therapy, biological therapy, chemotherapy, or hormone therapy. While cancer has the potential to return after a primary treatment, the chances of cure increase with an adjuvant cancer therapy plan. Your doctor will determine if adjuvant cancer therapy is necessary following primary treatment depending on the likelihood of your cancer returning.

If it is determined that adjuvant cancer therapy is right for you, there are two types of treatment options:

Local Adjuvant Cancer Therapy - This refers to site-specific therapy directed to a particular area to eliminate any cancer cells that may remain following tumor removal. Local adjuvant cancer therapy includes radiation therapy delivered to the armpit, breast, or chest wall and is recommended for patients with inflammatory breast cancer, that had a tumor that was larger than 2 inches, who had lymph nodes connected with their tumor, who had a lumpectomy instead of a mastectomy, or who have a tumor that has expanded into the chest wall muscles.

Local adjuvant cancer therapy typically begins three to six weeks after primary treatment (surgery) and, if a combination of chemotherapy and radiation has been determined, it begins with chemotherapy followed by radiation.

Systemic Adjuvant Therapy - This refers to treatment delivered to the body as a whole. The goal of systemic adjuvant therapy is to eliminate any cancer cells that - too small to be seen - were missed during primary therapy and have moved to other parts of the body. This is typically a widely recommended therapy as it covers any cancer cells that may be lying dormant and undetected. Systemic adjuvant therapy typically includes chemotherapy, targeted therapy, hormone therapy or a combination of any of these. Your doctor will work with you to determine if system adjuvant therapy is right for you.

Combination Therapy uses more than one medication or therapy to treat cancer. Combination therapy may be more expensive in the short term, but when it is beneficial to use, it can offer great benefits such as lower treatment failure rate, lower case-fatality ratios and help to slow down the development of resistance.

If you have any questions about adjuvant cancer therapy or any of the other services we provide at Las Colinas Cancer Center, do not hesitate to contact us.