Which interprofessional care management option is intended to shrink tumors?

Radiation therapy is intended to shrink tumors as it utilizes high-energy rays, similar to X-rays, to target and destroy cancer cells. This treatment is often localized, meaning it can precisely focus on the area of the tumor, minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. Radiation therapy can be used as a curative treatment or to relieve symptoms in advanced cases, making it an essential component of care for patients with localized tumors.

Chemotherapy also works to shrink tumors, but it does so differently by using systemic agents that affect the entire body, targeting rapidly dividing cells regardless of their location. Stem cell transplants are primarily used to restore bone marrow function after it has been damaged by disease or previous treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation, and while they can aid recovery, they are not directly aimed at tumor reduction. Targeted therapies and immunotherapies focus on specific characteristics of cancer cells or boosting the immune response against cancer, respectively, but like chemotherapy, they do not specifically employ radiation to shrink tumors directly.