Knowing Types of Cancer Treatment.

Types Of Cancer Treatment

There are six (6) main types of cancer treatment and which are described below. It is quite common for a combination of treatments to be used.

Active surveillance (or watchful waiting) :
- Certain types of cancers grow very slowly and can cause no problems for many years. In this situation, you may not need treatment for some time, but your doctor will carefully monitor so that if the cancer starts to grow, you may be liable treatment at this time.
Surgery :
- An operation is performed to remove the tumor. Surgery is often used if the cancer is in only one region of the body and has not spread. It can be used to remove lymph nodes if they are also affected by cancer. It can sometimes be used to remove a cancer that has spread to other areas of the body, but it is less frequent. The type of operation will depend on the area of the body affected by cancer, and the size and position of the tumor.
Radiotherapy :
- It is the use of high energy X-rays to destroy cancer cells, but cause the least possible damage to normal cells. Radiation therapy is intended to the affected area of the body and is very carefully planned. It can cause side effects and the most common is fatigue. Side effects depend on the part of the body that is being processed.
Chemotherapy :
- Chemotherapy is the use of the fight against cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells. There are more than 50 different chemotherapeutic agents. Some are given in the form of tablets or capsules, but most are given by drip (perfusion) in a vein. The drugs are in the bloodstream and travel throughout the body to treat cancer cells where they are. Sometimes, a single drug is used in chemotherapy, but often a combination of two, three or more drugs are given.
- Chemotherapy can cause side effects. Side effects, which depend on the drug (or combination of drugs) is used. There are now some very good ways to prevent or reduce the side effects of chemotherapy.
Hormone :
- Hormonal therapies work by altering levels of certain hormones in the body. Some cancers are dependent on certain hormones in order to divide and grow. By changing the level of hormones in the body, or blocking hormones set on cancer cells Cancer can be controlled.
Biological treatment :
- The use of biological substances that occur naturally in the body to destroy cancer cells. There are several types of biological treatment, including: monoclonal antibodies, inhibiting cancer growth, vaccines and gene therapy.
- Monoclonal antibodies are drugs that can recognize and find specific cells in the body. They can be designed to find a particular type of cancer cell, to join them and destroy them. They can also carry a radioactive molecule, which provides radiation directly to the tumor.
- Cancer Growth inhibitors interfere with the way in which cancer cells use chemical messengers aid for the cell to grow and divide. The research is to try to see if vaccines and gene therapy may be given to treat a cancer that must return or spread. Vaccines may also be able to reduce the risk of cancer returning, but this type of research is in the very early stages.
- Cancerbackup has information on all cancer treatments mentioned above, and trials of cancer research.