![]() When used for potentially curable cancers during remission, maintenance treatment is given for a specified length of time, usually between 6 weeks and 2 years. How long you receive maintenance therapy depends on many factors. How long will I receive maintenance therapy? As additional active drugs are identified and approved, it is likely that more types of cancer will benefit from this type of maintenance therapy. This approach is sometimes called "switch maintenance." Usually this involves switching from chemotherapy to another type of treatment, such as immunotherapy or targeted therapy. Adding a new drug that works in a different way can continue to shrink the cancer after the initial treatment. Using this type of maintenance therapy can provide the full benefit of the initial treatment with fewer side effects. Substituting similar drugs that may cause less side effects Reducing the number of drugs in the combinationĬhanging how often the patient receive doses And if needed, there are different ways your doctor can modify the original treatment plan: Side effects from maintenance regimens are often easier to manage than those from the intensive initial treatment. This is considered a "maintenance regimen." If the combination chemotherapy treatment is still working to treat the cancer, the regimen can be modified over time. This kind of treatment regimen can be intensive and it may be difficult to have for long periods of time due to the potential for severe side effects. This is a treatment plan that includes more than 1 type of chemotherapy. For many types of cancer, the first treatment is combination chemotherapy. When recommended, maintenance therapy can:Ĭontinue treatment similar the initial treatment regimen. Maintenance therapy is now commonly used after initial treatment for several advanced cancers, such as advanced lung cancer, colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, and some types of lymphoma. ![]() For some of these cancer types, maintenance therapy can delay cancer progression and prolong survival. ![]() How is maintenance therapy used to treat advanced cancer?įor many types of advanced cancer, the initial treatments can shrink the cancer and prevent it from spreading, but the cancer is not gone. Talk with your doctor about if or how maintenance therapy is recommended for the type of cancer you have. ![]() For these cancer types, maintenance therapy is a common part of standard treatment. For example, in some types of leukemia and lymphoma, maintenance therapy during remission can reduces the risk of recurrence and improves the cure rate. Maintenance therapy during remission can help lower your chance of recurrence if you have certain kinds of cancer. If this happens, it is called a recurrence. After treatment, if doctors cannot find evidence of the cancer remaining in the body, this is called a "remission" or a "complete remission." Even when a person is in complete remission, the cancer can sometimes come back later. How is maintenance therapy used to prevent cancer recurrence?įor many types of cancer, the goal of treatment is to cure the cancer. A maintenance therapy treatment plan may include chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy. Maintenance therapy can be given for long periods of time in either of these situations. To delay the growth of advanced cancer after the initial treatment Maintenance therapy, sometimes called continuous therapy, is used for the following reasons: Maintenance therapy is the ongoing treatment of cancer with medication after the cancer has responded to the first recommended treatment.
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