Cancer treatment

There are different types of cancer treatment. The treatment plan proposed will depend, in particular, on the type and stage of the cancer and the relevance and health status of the person affected. A single treatment or a combination of treatments may be used.

For many cancers, surgery is an essential component of the treatment plan. In most cases, the goal of surgery is to remove the cancerous tumour or tissue in order to cure the cancer. Surgery is performed as soon as the person is considered medically ready.

Information on access to oncologic surgery is available in Santé Québec's dashboard.

About half of people with cancer will receive radiation therapy at some point in their treatment journey. Radiation therapy uses radiation to damage the DNA of cancer cells.

Radiation therapy equipment is deployed in 14 institutions and facilities in Québec’s health and social services network.

Abitibi-Témiscamingue

• Centre régional de radio-oncologie de Rouyn-Noranda (in french only)

Bas-Saint-Laurent

• Hôpital régional de Rimouski

Capitale-Nationale

• Centre hospitalier universitaire (CHU) de Québec – Université Laval

Chaudière-Appalaches

• Hôtel-Dieu de Lévis

Estrie

• Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de l’Estrie – CHU de Sherbrooke

Laval

• Centre intégré de cancérologie de Laval

Mauricie et Centre-du-Québec

• Centre hospitalier affilié universitaire régional de Trois-Rivières

Montérégie

• Hôpital Charles-Le Moyne

Montréal

• Jewish General Hospital
• Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont (pavillon Maisonneuve et pavillon Marcel-Lamoureux)
• McGill University Health Centre
• Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal

Outaouais

• Hôpital de Gatineau

Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean

• Hôpital de Chicoutimi

People who have to travel far from home to receive cancer treatment can stay in affordable accommodation offered by one of the following organizations:

• the Canadian Cancer Society
• the Quebec Cancer Foundation
• the Association du cancer de l’Est du Québec (in French only)

Drugs are an integral part of cancer treatment. They are classified into several categories:

• Chemotherapy, which aims to destroy fast-growing cells, such as cancer cells
• Immunotherapy, which stimulates the immune system to destroy cancer cells or prevent them from spreading
• Hormone therapy, which acts on hormone production in order to slow down cancer cells whose development depends on these hormones
• Targeted therapies, which specifically attack the molecular abnormalities (proteins, genes) of cancer cells
• Support treatments to relieve pain or the potential adverse effects of the treatments

New drugs are being developed at an accelerated rate. In Québec, they are evaluated according to a rigorous process before being included on the lists of drugs reimbursed by the State. For a new cancer drug, oncology experts are called upon to validate:

• the therapeutic value
• the economic criteria
• the consequences of including the drug on the list on people’s health and on the health care system

Newly approved drugs are included on the list of drugs provided in institutions (in French only).

CAR T-cell immunotherapy involves taking cells from the person with cancer and genetically modifying them before reintroducing them into their body. It is mainly intended for people with certain types of blood cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma.

There are several types of CAR T-cell therapy. To find out more, go to the page CAR T-cell immunotherapy for blood cancers.

Tools and documentation to help you understand cancer treatments better are available:

• Video – Ma première visite en salle de traitement (in French only)
  Information on what to expect during a treatment visit
  CHU de Québec – Université Laval
• Video – Mon premier traitement de chimiothérapie (in French only)
  Information about chemotherapy, the main side effects, how to prevent or relieve them
• Video – Chemotherapy guide
  Information about the side effects of chemotherapy, the treatments and convalescence
  Rossy Cancer Network
• Video – Your Radiotherapy Journey
  Virtual tour of the Jewish General Hospital and the McGill University Health Centre radiotherapy clinics
  Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux (CIUSSS) du Centre-Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal
• Preparing for Radiation Therapy Treatment guide
  Preparation booklet for radiation therapy treatments and key concerns
  CIUSSS du Centre-Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal
• Video – Radiotherapy to the Head and Neck
  Information on radiotherapy treatments and the steps involved from preparation to treatment administration
  CIUSSS du Centre-Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal
• Video – Immunotherapy Guide
  Explanations on the side effects of immunotherapy, the treatments and convalescence
  Rossy Cancer Network