Lewisville, TX – Adjuvant therapy is mostly used after the initial treatments, such as surgery, to reduce the chances of cancer recurrence. It is possible that after successfully removing tumors with surgery, microscopic lesions will remain in the body undetected. Neoadjuvant therapy is given to patients before the primary treatment to minimize the chances of recurrence. It helps to make procedures such as radiotherapy or surgery more effective.

“Adjuvant therapy helps to minimize risks of cancer recurrence,” explained Dr. Jimenez. “Its efficacy can be determined by considering several factors. However, it would help if you understood that adjuvant therapy might not benefit every cancer patient. It causes side effects; therefore, it is important to talk to the doctor and determine your benefits and risks.”

Here are some of the factors to consider before choosing the type of adjuvant therapy for your condition:

• Type of Cancer – Adjuvant therapy works well on cancers such as colon and breast cancer. Patients with other types of cancer may not benefit much from this therapy.

• Cancer stage – Early stage cancer patients benefit very little from adjuvant therapy since their disease has not spread from its original site. However, in advanced forms of cancer, patients benefit a lot from the treatment because it will help prevent a recurrence.

• Hormone receptivity–If the tumor is not sensitive to hormones, hormone therapy may not work.

• The number of lymph nodes affected – If more lymph nodes are affected by cancer, there is an excellent chance that more cancer cells will remain in the body after primary therapy, such as surgery.

• Cancer-specific changes – Certain cancers have particular changes in their cells, meaning that the cancer will likely recur. Adjuvant therapy is beneficial for such cancers.

"Getting adjuvant therapy does not guarantee that cancer will not come back," continued Dr. Jimenez. "However, adjuvant therapy can reduce the risks of the cancer recurring."

About Lewisville/Flower Mound Oncology Group

The Lewisville/Flower Mound Oncology Group has state-of-the-art facilities that offer individualized care to patients throughout North Texas. With a team of expert oncologists and other specialists on staff, the Lewisville/Flower Mound Oncology Group treats a variety of cancers and blood disorders with an eye towards the newest advancements available in diagnostic technology and treatments.

Visit them at https://lewisvilleflowermoundoncology.com/service/cancer-therapy/ to know more.