Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be taken by mouth or it may be put into the body by a needle in a vein or muscle. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drugs enter the bloodstream, travel through the body, and can kill cancer cells throughout the body. Chemotherapy may be used alone or after surgery. Therapy given after an operation when there are no cancer cells that can be seen is called adjuvant therapy.
Hormone therapy is used to stop the hormones in the body that help cancer cells grow.
Treatment by Stage Treatment of CUP depends on where the doctor thinks the cancer started, what the cancer cells look like under a microscope, and other factors. Surgery and tests may be done to find where the cancer started. Standard treatment may be considered because of its effectiveness in patients in past studies, or participation in a clinical trial may be considered. Not all patients are cured with standard therapy and some standard treatments may have more side effects than are desired. More information is available in the PDQ patient information summary for metastatic squamous neck cancer with occult primary.