Cancerbackup: Factsheets
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The best cancer information for everyone.
Cancerbackup has merged with Macmillan. Together we can provide a wealth of high quality information about cancer.
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Our factsheets are written by our cancer information specialist nurses. The content is reviewed and revised on a regular basis. All of our current factsheets are listed below.
If you are someone affected by cancer, or a relative, friend or carer, you can order any of these factsheets free of charge by calling our nurse helpline on 0808 800 1234.
If you are a health professional you can order the Cancer Factfile 2009 which contains all of the factsheets listed. Visit be.Macmillan.org.uk to order a copy.
Biological therapies
- 90Y-Ibritumomab tiuxetan (Zevalin®)
- ADEPT (antibody-directed enzyme pro-drug therapy)
- Aldesleukin (Proleukin®)
- Alemtuzumab (MabCampath®)
- Bevacizumab (Avastin®)
- Bortezomib (Velcade®)
- Cancer vaccines
- Cetuximab (Erbitux®)
- Dasatanib (Sprycel®)
- Erlotinib (Tarceva®)
- Erythropoietin (Aranesp®, Binocrit®, Dynepo®, Eprex®, NeoRecormon®)
- G-CSF (Filgrastim, Neupogen®, Granocyte®, Neulasta®)
- Gefitinib (Iressa®)
- Gemtuzumab (Mylotarg®)
- Gene therapy
- Imatinib (Glivec®)
- Interferon alpha (IntronA®, Roferon-A®)
- Iodine131 tositumomab (BEXXAR®)
- Lapatinib (Tyverb®)
- Lenalidomide (Revlimid®)
- Panitumumab (Vectibix®)
- Rituximab (Mabthera®)
- Sorafenib (Nexavar®)
- Sunitinib (Sutent®)
- Thalidomide (Thalidomid®)
- Trastuzumab (Herceptin®)
Chemotherapy drugs
- Amsacrine (Amsidine®)
- Bleomycin
- Busulfan (Busilvex®, Myleran®)
- Capecitabine (Xeloda®)
- Carboplatin
- Carmustine (BiCNU®)
- Chlorambucil (Leukeran®)
- Cisplatin
- Cladribine (Leustat®)
- Clofarabine (Evoltra®)
- Crisantaspase (Erwinase®)
- Cyclophosphamide
- Cytarabine
- Dacarbazine (DTIC)
- Dactinomycin (Cosmegen Lyovac®)
- Daunorubicin
- Docetaxel (Taxotere®)
- Doxorubicin
- Epirubicin (Pharmorubicin®)
- Etoposide (Etopophos®, Vepesid®)
- Fludarabine (Fludara®)
- Fluorouracil (5FU)
- Gemcitabine (Gemzar®)
- Gliadel implants (Carmustine)
- Hydroxycarbamide (Hydrea®)
- Idarubicin (Zavedos®)
- Ifosfamide (Mitoxana®)
- Irinotecan (Campto®)
- Leucovorin (folinic acid)
- Liposomal duanorubicin (Duanoxome®)
- Liposomal doxorubicin (Caelyx®, Myocet®)
- Lomustine
- Melphalan (Alkeran®)
- Mercaptopurine (Puri-Nethol®)
- Methotrexate
- Mitomycin
- Mitoxantrone
- Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin®)
- Paclitaxel (Taxol®)
- Pemetrexed (Alimta®)
- Pentostatin
- Procarbazine
- Raltitrexed (Tomudex®)
- Satraplatin
- Streptozocin (Zanosar®)
- Tegafur-uracil (Uftoral®)
- Temozolomide (Temodal®)
- Teniposide (Vumon®)
- Thiotepa
- Tioguanine (Lanvis®)
- Topotecan (Hycamtin®)
- Treosulfan
- Vinblastine (Velbe®)
- Vincristine (Oncovin®)
- Vindesine (Eldisine®)
- Vinorelbine (Navelbine®)
Combination chemotherapies
- ABVD chemotherapy
- AC chemotherapy
- BEAM chemotherapy
- BEP chemotherapy
- CAF chemotherapy
- Capecitabine and docetaxol chemotherapy
- Carbo MV chemotherapy
- Carboplatin and etoposide chemotherapy
- CAV chemotherapy
- ChlVPP chemotherapy
- CHOP chemotherapy
- Cisplatin and flourouracil (5FU) chemotherapy
- CMF chemotherapy
- C-VAMP chemotherapy
- De Gramont and modified de Gramont chemotherapy
- DHAP and R-DHAP chemotherapy
- Docetaxol and carboplatin chemotherapy
- Docetaxol and cisplatin chemotherapy
- Doxorubicin and ifosfamide chemotherapy
- EC chemotherapy
- ECF chemotherapy
- ECX chemotherapy
- E-CMF (Epi-CMF) chemotherapy
- ELF chemotherapy
- EOX chemotherapy
- ESHAP and R-ESHAP chemotherapy
- Etoposide and cisplatin chemotherapy
- FEC chemotherapy
- FEC-T chemotherapy
- GemCap chemotherapy
- GemCarbo chemotherapy
- Gemcitabine and cisplatin chemotherapy
- GemTaxol
- Hyper-CVAD chemotherapy
- ICE and RICE chemotherapy
- Irinotecan and cetuximab
- Irinotecan with fluorouracil (5FU) and folinic acid
- Mayo chemotherapy
- MIC chemotherapy
- MM chemotherapy
- MMM chemotherapy
- MVAC chemotherapy
- MVP chemotherapy
- Oxaliplatin and 5FU chemotherapy
- Paclitaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy
- PCV chemotherapy
- Pemetrexed and cisplatin chemotherapy
- PMitCEBO
- R-CHOP chemotherapy
- TAC chemotherapy
- VAD chemotherapy
- VAPEC-B chemotherapy
- Vinorelbine and carboplatin chemotherapy
- Vinorelbine and cisplatin chemotherapy
Giving chemotherapy
- Central lines (skin-tunnelled venous catheters)
- Chemotherapy (in Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu)
- Implantable ports
- Lumbar puncture and intrathecal chemotherapy
- Mesna (Uromitexan®)
- PICC lines (peripherally inserted central catheters)
- Rasburicase (Fasturtec©)
- Scalp cooling
Hormonal therapies
- Anastrozole (Arimidex®)
- Bicalutamide (Casodex®)
- Buserelin (Suprefact®)
- Cyproterone acetate (Cyprostat®)
- Diethylstilbestrol (Stilboestrol®)
- Exemestane (Aromasin®)
- Flutamide (Drogenil®)
- Fulvestrant (Faslodex)
- Goserelin for breast cancer (Zoladex®)
- Goserelin for prostate cancer (Zoladex® LA)
- Letrozole (Femara®)
- Leuprorelin acetate (Prostap® SR, Prostap® 3)
- Medroxyprogesterone acetate (Depo-provera®, Farlutal®, Provera®)
- Megestrol acetate (Megace®)
- Tamoxifen
- Toremifene (Fareston®)
- Triptorelin (Decapeptyl® SR, Gonapeptyl Depot®)
Other treatments
- CHART radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
- Clodronate (Bonefos®, Loron®)
- Having a hysterectomy
- Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy
- Ibandronic acid (Bondronat®)
- Pamidronate (Aredia®)
- Photodynamic therapy (PDT)
- Plasma exchange (plasmapheresis)
- Prophylactic cranial radiotherapy (PCR)
- Radiofrequency ablation
- Radiotherapy (in Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu)
- Steroids
- Surgery
- Surgery (in Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu)
- Zoledronic Acid (Zometa®)
Brain & spinal tumours
- Acoustic neuroma
- Astrocytic tumours
- Chordoma
- CNS lymphoma
- Ependymoma
- Haemangioblastoma
- Malignant spinal cord compression (MSCC)
- Medulloblastoma
- Meningioma
- Mixed gliomas
- Oligodendroglioma
- Pineal-region tumours
- Pituitary gland tumours
- Secondary brain tumours
- Spinal cord tumours
Breast cancers
- Breast calcifications
- Breast cancer (in Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu)
- Breast cancer and menopausal symptoms
- Breast cancer in men
- Breast screening in women under 50, with a family history of breast cancer
- DNA analysis of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes
- Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
- HER2 testing and breast cancer
- Inflammatory breast cancer
- Lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS)
- Ovarian ablation and breast cancer
- Paget's disease of the breast
Children's cancers
(written in conjunction with the CCLG)
- Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in children
- Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in children
- Brain tumours in children
- Ewing's sarcoma in children
- Germ cell tumours in children
- Hodgkin's lymphoma in children
- Langerhan's cell histiocytosis (LCH) in children
- Liver tumours in children
- Neuroblastoma in children
- Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in children
- Osteosarcoma in children
- Radiotherapy for children with cancer in the abdomen (tummy) and pelvis
- Radiotherapy for children with cancer in the chest area
- Radiotherapy for children with head and neck cancers
- Rare tumours of childhood
- Retinoblastoma in children
- Rhabdomyosarcoma in children
- Wilms' tumour in children
Digestive system cancers
- Anal cancer
- Bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma)
- Carcinoid tumour
- Gall bladder cancer
- Gastroenteropancreatic tumours (GEPs)
- Gastro-intestinal stromal tumours (GIST)
- Primary liver cancer
- Small bowel cancer
Haematological conditions
- Tumours of the adrenal glands
- Germ cell tumours of the ovary
- Anorectal melanoma
- Melanoma of the eye (ocular melanoma)
- Multiple endocrine neoplasia 1 (MEN1)
- Multiple endocrine neoplasia 2 (MEN2)
- Cancer of the mouth
- Cancer of the nasopharynx (nasopharyngeal cancer)
- Cancer of the oropharynx
- Paranasal sinus cancer
- Tumours of the parathyroid glands
- Cancer of the penis (penile cancer)
- Primary peritoneal cancer
- Pseudomyxoma peritonei
- Salivary gland cancer
- Secondary cancer in the lung
- Secondary cancer in the lymph nodes
- Thymoma and thymic carcinoma
- Cancer of the trachea
- Cancer of the ureter and renal pelvis
- Vaginal cancer
Other specific cancers
- Tumours of the adrenal glands
- Germ cell tumours of the ovary
- Anorectal melanoma
- Melanoma of the eye (ocular melanoma)
- Multiple endocrine neoplasia 1 (MEN1)
- Multiple endocrine neoplasia 2 (MEN2)
- Cancer of the mouth
- Cancer of the nasopharynx (nasopharyngeal cancer)
- Cancer of the oropharynx
- Paranasal sinus cancer
- Tumours of the parathyroid glands
- Cancer of the penis (penile cancer)
- Primary peritoneal cancer
- Pseudomyxoma peritonei
- Salivary gland cancer
- Secondary cancer in the lung
- Secondary cancer in the lymph nodes
- Thymoma and thymic carcinoma
- Cancer of the trachea
- Cancer of the ureter and renal pelvis
- Vaginal cancer
Pre-cancerous conditions
- Barrett’s oesophagus
- Bowen's disease
- Familial adenomatous polyposis
- Hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer
- HPV and cancer
- HPV vaccines (to prevent cervical cancer)
- Vaginal intra-epithelial neoplasia (VAIN)
- Vulval intra-epithelial neoplasia (VIN)
- Vulval lichen sclerosus and lichen planus
Sarcomas
- Chondrosarcoma
- Ewing’s sarcoma of the bone
- Gastro-intestinal stromal tumours (GIST)
- Leiomyosarcoma
- Osteosarcoma
- Rhabdomyosaroma
Living with cancer
Coping with side effects
- Avoiding infection when you have reduced immunity
- Blood transfusions
- Controlling nausea and vomiting (anti-emetic therapy)
- Dietary problems after surgery for stomach cancer
- Dry mouth (xerostomia)
- Mouth care during chemotherapy
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Platelet transfusions
Coping with symptoms
- Ascites
- Breathlessness
- Childcare - when a parent has cancer
- Cancer and fertility for men
- Cancer and fertility for women
- Fungating wounds
- Men's cancers and hormonal symptoms
- Nutritional support
- Pleural effusions
- Superior vena cava obstruction (SVCO)
Practical issues
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
- Care of your pets when you have cancer
- Clinical negligence
- Financial issues
- Making a complaint
- Pelvic radiotherapy in men - side effects during treatment
- Pelvic radiotherapy in women - side effects during treatment
- Signs and symptoms of cancer
- Skin grafts for skin cancer
- Understanding cancer fistula
- What you can do if a treatment isn't available
Content last reviewed: 01 April 2009
Page last modified: 17 June 2009
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