Carcinoma of Unknown Primary

Treatment

The treatment for carcinoma of unknown primary location depends on your symptoms, the location of the cancer and the likely site of origin. Your doctor will work with you to choose the most appropriate treatment, which may include:

• Chemotherapy. People who receive chemotherapy may take one or more drugs through a vein or by mouth. Chemotherapy may be taken alone or with other treatments, such as surgery or radiation.

• Radiation therapy. Radiation destroys cancer cells and shrinks tumors. Doctors at Mayo Clinic use radiation therapies such as brachytherapy and Gamma Knife to treat this carcinoma.

• Surgery. Your doctor may recommend surgery if the carcinoma can be removed safely. Mayo Clinic doctors use treatment planning such as Gamma Knife™ to protect nearby normal tissue. Other surgical treatments include hepatic artery (chemo) embolization and less invasive techniques such as radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation, which may be used to relieve cancer-related pain.

Doctors who specialize in pain management and treatment to alleviate or lessen symptoms (palliative care) are available to speak with you. Palliative care experts care for people who have incurable cancer. In addition, Mayo Clinic has doctors who are trained to treat cancer in older patients (geriatric oncologists).