What are the various methods used by oncologists or other medical practitioners in the fight against cancer? Can all cancers be fought by these methods. Are some of these methods more successful than others? What are the proven success rates of each? When is a cancer deemed 'inoperable' ? When a cancer is deemed inoperable, what methods may be pursued?
There are many types of treatments for cancer. Some of these include radiation therapy, cryosurgery in cancer treatment, angiogenesis, hyperthermia in cancer treatment and laser in cancer treatment.
ReplyDeleteRadiation therapy is when certain type of energy is used to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. This type of energy is called ionizing radiation. However this treatment has risks, as the radiation kills both cancer cells and normal cells, but most normal cells are able to recover and function properly. Radiation can be used on almost every type of solid tumor. It can also be used to treat leukemia and lymphoma.
Cryosurgery is the use of extreme cold to destroy irregular tissue. This cold is usually produced by liquid nitrogen. Cryosurgery is used on prostate and liver tumors, retinoblastoma (a childhood cancer affecting the retina of the eye) and early-stage skin cancers. It is also used on low grade tumors of the bone.
Laser therapy uses high-intensity light to treat cancer and other illnesses.Lasers are most commonly used to treat superficial cancers (cancers on the surface of the body or the lining of internal organs) including basal cell skin cancer and the very early stages of some cancers, such as cervical, penile, vaginal, vulvar, and non-small cell lung cancer. Lasers can also be used to relieve certain symptoms of cancer such as bleeding and obstruction.
These are just a few of the many cancer treatments available.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/treatment/types-of-treatment
In addition to what 'J@mE$' mentioned, there are some other options for treating cancer, as he posted above. I would like to point out that natural types of cancer treatment have worked well for many people, some of these therapies being:
ReplyDeletemarine phytoplankton and allicin. Complementary therapy has been used along with standard medical treatment to treat cancer. Some complementary therapies may help relieve certain symptoms of cancer, eliminate the chances of side effects caused by cancer therapy, or improve a patient's sense of well-being. Some examples are: Meditation to reduce stress, massage therapy, relaxation, and acupuncture for releif of chronic pain.
Part A
ReplyDeleteThere are five standard methods of treatment for cancer. They are surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy and biologic therapy. There are other forms of alternative cancer treatments, which are usually not FDA-approved.
When first diagnosed with cancer, an oncologist will provide them with the cancer treatment options. They will recommend the best treatment plan based on your type of cancer, how far it has spread, and other important factors like your age and general health.
There are lots of types of cancer this is just A-C:
Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma
Adrenal Gland Tumor
Amyloidosis
Anal Cancer
Appendix Cancer
Astrocytoma - Childhood
Ataxia-Telangiectasia
Attenuated Familial Adenomatous Polyposis
Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome
Bile Duct Cancer
Birt-Hogg-Dube Syndrome
Bladder Cancer
Bone Cancer
Brain Stem Glioma - Childhood
Brain Tumor
Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer - Inflammatory
Breast Cancer - Male
Breast Cancer - Metaplastic
Carcinoid Tumor
Carney Complex
Central Nervous System - Childhood
Cervical Cancer
Childhood Cancer
Colorectal Cancer
Cowden Syndrome
Craniopharyngioma - Childhood
In conclusion chemotherapy is not the only form of treatment that can queuer cancer.
http://www.cancer.net/patient/Cancer+Types
http://cancer.about.com/od/treatmentoptions/a/options.htm
Part B
ReplyDeleteAs everyone has said, there are many ways to 'combat' cancer.
J@Me$ (May 27, 2009 2:13 AM) stated all the types of 'therapy's' to combat cancer; Radiation Therapy, Cyrosurgery, Laser Therapy and of course (but he didn't mention it) Chemotherapy. If I was to chose which one I would go with it would probably laser or cyrosurgery.
Adam (May 27, 2009 7:23 PM ) posted 2 more types of 'surgery' against cancer; immunotherapy and biologic therapy, but did not put an explination of them up so Immunotherapy is a therapy that (QUOTE http://www.novartisoncology.us/education/understanding-treatments/immunotherapy.jsp)"It utilizes the body's immune system to fight the cancer and/or to protect it from some of the side effects of other treatments" and Biologic Therapy is
(AFK)
(cont.)
ReplyDeleteBiologic therapy is (QUOTE http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/biologicaltherapy) "is a type of treatment that works with your immune system. It can help fight cancer or help control side effects (how your body reacts to the drugs you are taking) from other cancer treatments like chemotherapy"
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ReplyDeletePart B
ReplyDeleteBoth my grandfathers had prostate cancer. One of them had hormone treatment which did not remove the cancer but it slowed down the cancer for few years of a normal life. The other had surgery which stopped the cancer but he had a more difficult lifestyle as he suffered complications from the surgery. Depending on when the cancer was detected, how far it has spread, health of the person and who it is determines which treatment should be used. I think it’s good to have a variety of treatments in case one is not suited to a particular person.
(Part A)
ReplyDelete'Oncology is the branch of medicine dealing with tumors (cancer). A medical professional who practices oncology is an oncologist. The term originates from the Greek onkos (ονκος), meaning bulk, mass, or tumor, and the suffix -logy, meaning "study of".'(Quote)
Chemotherapy is the treatment of disease by chemicals that kill cells both good and bad but they are mostly used to treat micro-organisms and cancer. Chemotherapy usually acts by killing cells that divide rapidly which is one of the properties of cancer cells but it also kills the cells that are supposed to be in your body': cells in the bone marrow, digestive tract and hair follicles'(quote). Because of this some of the side effects are myelosuppression (decreased production of blood cells), mucositis (inflammation of the lining of the digestive tract) and alopecia (hair loss).
This is just one of the many ways used to treat cancer. Other ways include surgery, radiation therapy, gene therapy, hormone therapy, alternative, immunotherapy, biologic therapy and laser therapy. Many cancer patients receive several treatments together. Some success rates are: Precision Radiation Therapy – 88%, Chemotherapy – 70%, but these success rates vary depending on the type of cancer.
Inoperable cancer is a condition that cannot be treated by surgery. A treatment now available for inoperable cancer is radio frequency ablation (like radiation) for lung cancer patients. Otherwise doctors might offer palliative care to the patient. Palliative care is the medical specialty focused on relief of the pain, stress and other debilitating symptoms of serious illness.
Part B
ReplyDeleteOn top of what everybody else has mentioned, cancer can be also battled against with certain life choices. For example, not smoking, putting on sunscreen when you are going out into the hot sun, not being exposed to radiation and dangerous chemicals, and having a balanced diet.
Part B
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alex that one can follow good life choices to lower their chance of getting cancer. However, to add to this, people should also go for regular medical check-ups, for example: Breast Cancer screenings. One must also take family cancer history into account, because some family genes might make one prone to cancers more then other people.