Cancer Treatment
Treatment Options
Every treatment plan is personalized to your diagnosis, goals, and overall health.
Virginia Cancer Specialists offers coordinated care across medical oncology, hematology, radiation oncology, surgery, clinical trials, and supportive services. Your physicians and care team will walk you through the options that fit your cancer type, stage, and preferences.
Explore the treatment areas below to learn more about how we care for different diagnoses. If you are looking for oncology terms or medication definitions, visit the Oncology Dictionary page.
Explore Treatment Areas
Search directly through our library of treatments and resources below.
Oncology Dictionary
Search oncology terms and medication definitions on our interactive NCI-backed Oncology Dictionary page.
Quick Links
Research Library
Browse curated collections of information. Learn more about the breadth of expertise of our Physicians.
Thoracic / Lung
Review thoracic and lung cancer care options, physicians, and related support services.
Gynecologic
Learn about gynecologic oncology treatment options, physicians, and support resources.
Genitourinary
Find information on genitourinary cancer care, specialists, and treatment planning.
Gastrointestinal
See treatment information for gastrointestinal cancers, including care teams and next steps.
Breast
Learn about breast cancer care, physicians, treatment approaches, and support resources.
Brain & CNS
Explore care for brain tumors and central nervous system cancers, including specialists and treatment pathways.
Bone & Soft Tissue
Learn about sarcoma and orthopedic oncology care, physicians, and treatment options.
Blood & Bone Marrow
See treatment information for blood cancers and benign hematology conditions.
Cancer Treatment Options
Most treatment plans combine several of these approaches. Your Virginia Cancer Specialists care team builds a plan around your specific diagnosis — explore each option below, or browse all treatments & services.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses powerful medicines to destroy cancer cells or slow their growth, and it remains one of the most widely used and effective cancer treatments. It can be given on its own or alongside surgery, radiation, or other therapies.
- Given by IV infusion or as pills, in planned cycles with recovery time between
- Delivered in our offices by our medical oncology team, close to home
- Often used to shrink a tumor before surgery or lower the risk of recurrence after
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses precisely targeted, high-energy X-rays to destroy cancer cells while sparing nearby healthy tissue. Virginia Cancer Specialists offers advanced, state-of-the-art radiation for a wide range of cancers and select benign conditions.
- Painless outpatient treatments that usually take only minutes a day
- Planned and delivered with image guidance by our APEx-accredited radiation oncology team
- Can be the main treatment, or support surgery and chemotherapy
Surgery to Treat Cancer
Surgery is one of the oldest and most effective treatments for cancer. For many cancers, removing the tumor offers the best chance for a positive outcome, often combined with other therapies before or after the operation.
- Used to diagnose, stage, and treat cancer, and to relieve symptoms
- Minimally invasive and robotic-assisted techniques when appropriate
- Coordinated with your medical and radiation oncologists as one care plan
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy helps your body’s own immune system recognize, target, and destroy cancer cells. Over the past decade it has transformed treatment for many types of cancer.
- Works with your immune system rather than attacking cells directly
- Usually given by IV infusion in our offices
- May be used alone or with chemotherapy, radiation, or targeted therapy
Targeted Therapy
Targeted therapy focuses on the specific genes, proteins, and other molecular features that help cancer cells grow and survive. By attacking what makes a cancer unique, it can be highly effective with fewer effects on healthy cells.
- Guided by biomarker and genomic testing of your cancer
- Taken as pills or given by infusion
- Often paired with chemotherapy, hormone therapy, or immunotherapy
Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy treats cancers that use the body’s natural hormones to grow — most commonly breast and prostate cancers — by lowering hormone levels or blocking their effects.
- Usually pills or injections rather than infusions
- Can lower the risk of recurrence after surgery or radiation
- Managed by your medical oncology team, sometimes over months or years
Specialized Programs
CAR T-Cell Therapy Program — one of the most advanced treatments for certain blood cancers: your own immune cells, re-engineered to fight the disease.
Scalp Cooling — cold-cap therapy that can significantly reduce hair loss during many types of chemotherapy.
Clinical Trials & Research — access to tomorrow’s treatments today through the Virginia Cancer Specialists Research Institute.
Ready to Make an Appointment?
If you have questions about whether this treatment or service may be right for you, make an appointment with the Virginia Cancer Specialists team.