[Medical treatment of solid tumours]

The medical treatment of solid tumours depends on many different factors. The choice of drug is stipulated by the tumour type, the stage of the disease and a number of patient characteristics, such as biological age, co-morbidity, and general performance status. The treatment can be curative, palliative or (neo-)adjuvant in nature. The groups of drugs which are used are hormones, cytostatics, immune-modulating drugs and (a new group) targeted-drugs consisting of small-molecules and monoclonal antibodies. Only a few tumour types are curable with chemotherapy in an advanced stage. In some tumour types an increase in life-expectancy can be achieved; other tumours are hardly or not at all sensitive to medical treatment. Treatment is limited by the side-effects of the drugs. With supporting medication some of the side-effects can be alleviated. With palliative therapy the aim is to improve the general condition by temporarily inhibiting the tumour with minimal side effects. Adjuvant chemotherapy raises the chance of cure after primary treatment with surgery or radiotherapy.