Why Kate Middleton and Other Cancer Patients Require More Than One Treatment
Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, announced she had cancer last month. Many cancer patients undergo surgery, chemotherapy and other treatments in combination
The Princess of Wales during a visit to officially open the Evelina London Children’s Day Surgery Unit at London’s Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital.
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The following essay is reprinted with permission from 
The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research.
When Kate Middleton, the princess of Wales, announced in March 2024that she was receiving “preventive chemotherapy” following abdominal surgery, many wondered what that entails. Formally known as adjuvant therapy, administering chemotherapy or other treatments after surgery is a common approach to treating certain types of cancer and is not necessarily intended to prevent cancer.
Oncologist Alexander Olawaiyeof the University of Pittsburgh explains what factors doctors take into account when devising a cancer treatment plan.
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Why are some cancers treated with surgery but not others?
There are many types of cancer treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and hormonal therapy, among others. Sometimes doctors combine multiple types of treatment. Which is the best treatment approach depends on which organ the tumor originated from and how much the tumor has spread at the time of diagnosis.
Broadly speaking, there are two types of cancers: solid tumors – or visible tumors that can be seen by the naked eye or through imaging – and liquid tumors, such as blood cancers. The primary…
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