Treatment of Cancer
Treatment of cancer varies widely depending on the cancer’s type, stage, and location, as well as the patient’s overall health and preferences. The primary goals of treatment of cancer are to eliminate cancer, prevent its spread, or manage symptoms in advanced cases.
Common cancer treatments include:
1. Surgery
Surgery removes tumours and surrounding tissue, often providing a cure for early-stage cancers. It may be used alone or alongside other therapies. Minimally invasive techniques, such as laparoscopic surgery, are now common.
2. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses powerful drugs to kill fast-growing cancer cells. It may be used to shrink tumours before surgery, eliminate remaining cancer after surgery, or treat widespread disease. Side effects can include nausea, fatigue, and hair loss, but supportive medications reduce these impacts.
3. Radiation Therapy
High-energy beams (such as X-rays or protons) target and destroy cancer cells. Radiation is used alone or with other treatments and can be external or internal (brachytherapy). It’s commonly used in breast, prostate, and head and neck cancers.
4. Immunotherapy
This newer approach stimulates the patient’s immune system to recognise and attack cancer cells. Drugs like checkpoint inhibitors and CAR T-cell therapy are transforming treatment in melanoma, lung cancer, and blood cancers.
5. Targeted Therapy
Targeted drugs block specific molecules that cancer cells rely on to grow. These treatments are often used when genetic mutations are identified through testing.
6. Hormone Therapy
Used for hormone-sensitive cancers like breast and prostate cancer, this therapy lowers or blocks hormones that fuel cancer growth.
7. Stem Cell Transplant
Mainly used in blood cancers such as leukaemia or lymphoma, this treatment replaces damaged bone marrow with healthy cells.
Supportive care, including pain management, nutrition counselling, and mental health support, is also essential.
Treatment of Cancer
A successful treatment of cancer plan may combine multiple methods and evolve over time. Continuous advances in medicine are expanding options and improving survival rates.
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