If adjuvant therapy is recommended, its effectiveness must be considered based on several factors. Here are some of them:

• Types of cancer: This therapy provides greater benefits for the treatment of breast cancer and colon cancer. However, for some other types of cancer, it may not provide significant benefits.
• Cancer stage: The stage of cancer refers to how widespread the cancer is. If the cancer diagnosed is still in a very early stage (before it has spread), then the chance of the cancer returning after surgery may be very small. Therefore, maybe this therapy is not an option. However, if the cancer is at a more advanced stage or has spread to nearby lymph nodes, adjuvant therapy may be more beneficial.
• Number of lymph nodes involved: The more lymph nodes involved, the more likely it is that cancer cells will remain after primary treatment.
• Hormone receptors: Adjuvant therapy may not be effective if the tumor in the body is not hormone-sensitive.
• Other specific changes in cancer: There are some types of cancer that may have certain changes in their cells, so the risk of recurrence is quite high. Based on this, adjuvant therapy is more likely to provide benefits.

Agreeing to adjuvant therapy does not guarantee that the cancer will not return. However, it may help reduce the risk of your cancer coming back.

Doctors recommend adjuvant therapy after several considerations.

Yes or no?

If a doctor recommends adjuvant therapy, the decision remains with the patient to determine whether to continue or not. The following are several things that can be discussed with a doctor regarding adjuvant therapy:

• What procedures are you considering? Find out what you want if you agree to undergo adjuvant therapy. Do you only need to take medicine at home or do you need to go to the hospital?
• What are the side effects? Are you willing to accept them? Will it interfere with activities? How long will these side effects last? What might be too difficult to tolerate?
• How long do you need to undergo this therapy? Adjuvant therapy can last from several weeks to 10 years. Make sure to understand the procedures and reasons behind them first.
• What are the chances that you will remain cancer-free? Find out how likely it is for the cancer to recur if you decide not to undergo adjuvant therapy and how big the risk of successful therapy is if you decide to undergo it.
• How is your current health condition? Overall healthy people may experience fewer side effects during adjuvant therapy and are more likely to benefit from the therapy. While people with severe health problems may be more likely to experience side effects during therapy and may benefit less from the therapy.
• What's your preference? There are people who are willing to do everything they can to reduce the chance of the cancer returning regardless of the side effects. However, there are also people who choose not to take it because of certain side effects.
• How much does the therapy cost? Check whether adjuvant therapy can be covered by health insurance. This is because some medications and procedures may have significant additional costs. Make sure you understand how this therapy affects your finances and whether the benefits are worth the costs.

The decision to accept or reject adjuvant therapy is yours.

Prognosis

You can ask your health service provider about how successful adjuvant therapy is. This is because they will definitely know the history of the disease and how well people your age respond to the additional therapy given. But in the end, the decision is still up to you. Whether to be accepted or rejected is your choice.

Adjuvant therapy is a strategy to fight cancer. However, the decision to accept or reject it must be based on careful consideration. The decision may be based on the type of cancer, stage of cancer, side effects, health conditions, personal preferences, and financial factors. Make sure to consult a doctor!

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