Programs and cancer treatments

The number of cancer treatments is constantly growing, which means more life-changing opportunities for patients. Treatments can be complex but the main types of treatment are:

  • Surgical oncology, which removes solid mass tumors with surgery
  • Radiation therapy, which delivers high doses of radiation to specific sites to destroy cancer cells
  • Systemic treatment, which delivers medication that is processed through your body before reaching the cancer site.

Patients may get a combination of these treatments, depending on the type of cancer, its location and stage.

There are also specific treatments and surgeries that support cancer treatment. These could include preventative procedures to stop the cancer from spreading, or “rescue therapies” like stem cell therapy, that help the body respond better to treatment.

Cancer care at KHSC, by the numbers
  • 5 sites across Southeastern Ontario, supporting patients and families
  • 550,000+ patients supported in 8 different communities
  • 20 medical oncologists and 5 hematologists on staff, alongside specialists in gynecological oncology and surgical oncology
  • 7000 new patients seen each, on average, each year
  • 1000+ treatments and procedures, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy, done each year at satellite sites
  • 2151 surgeries completed to treat cancer in 2023, 45 of which used surgical robotics
  • 8327 radiation therapy procedures completed last year at KHSC
  • An average of 125 stem cell procedures, including collection and transplant, completed annually at KHSC

Clinics and procedures

For patients