Oncology Services - Mercy Medical Center - Redding, CA

Cancer treatment involves the use of surgery, radiation, medications and other therapies to cure a cancer, shrink a cancer or stop the progression of a cancer.

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

Radiation therapy, also known as radiotherapy, is the use of high doses of radiation to kill off cancer cells and cause tumors to shrink. In most cases, the radiation used is X-rays, although other types of radiation can be used. Radiation therapy is most often delivered externally, but can also be used internally.

Mammography is when X-rays are taken of a woman's breasts. It is a diagnostic screening procedure that helps doctors with the early detection of breast cancer so that early intervention can reduce a woman's risk of serious complications.

Pathology is used to examine a cancerous tumor and determine the stage of cancer, when the removal of the entire tumor is the first line of treatment. Pathological staging is typically more precise than clinical staging, as the extent of the cancer can often be observed during surgery.

Genetic testing looks for changes in your DNA and is useful in many areas of medicine and can determine the medical care you receive.