By Brijesh Ghelani
Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases the century has seen and the alarming number of people affected by the disease has made the need to find a cure for the disease a desperate one. According to the statistics of WHO, one out of every three women and one out of every two men are prone to cancer in the current world. Though there are many known methods of prevention that have been in use, the number of people affected by the disease is on the rise every year. The only way to treat cancer is early diagnosis and effective treatment immediately. In the recent past, many modern medical researches have increased the cure to about 70-80%.
There are many known methods of cancer therapy like chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, etc. and most of the time more than one of the methods are followed as a treatment course. Let us take a look at each of these modes to understand details about them.
Chemotherapy
What is it? - This is a kind of cancer treatment mode where drugs are used to destroy the cancer cells. This method is also known as chemo in short and is widely practised as a main mode of treatment or a follow-up treatment after surgery. There are many different kinds of Chemotherapy treatments and the choice of treatment depends on the type of cancer and the stage to which the disease has progressed to.
Uses of Chemotherapy - It can be used effectively to destroy cells that are cancerous and stop them from spreading. It is also used as a follow-up method after surgery to slow down the growth of cancer cells.
Chemotherapy as a follow-up treatment - As we discussed, Chemotherapy can be used as a follow-up treatment to either destroy or slow down the cancer cells. It can be used either after radiation or surgery treatments to make sure that the cancer cells do not reappear again. Sometimes it can also be used to destroy cells before a transplant surgery. For example, Chemotherapy is normally suggested before a peripheral blood stem cell transplant.
Side effects of Chemotherapy - Though it is an effective mode of treatment, chemotherapy has its own list of side effects which also needs to be taken into consideration before the start of the treatment. The common side effects of chemotherapy include anaemia, appetite change, constipation, fatigue, hair loss and vomiting issues. Some patients might also experience bleeding problems, infections and other kind of memory or mouth, throat changes. Depending on the type of cancer, it is also possible that chemotherapy can induce fertility changes, swelling and pain along with changes in urination patterns.
How is Chemotherapy administered? - Chemotherapy is the administration of drugs for destroying the cancerous cells and such drugs are normally given either through intravenous or injection methods. An injection into the muscle or other part of the body is provided to get the drug in contact with the affected cells. Sometimes depending on the localization of the disease, chemotherapy is also administered by means of a pill or a cream that can be rubbed on the skin.
Radiation Therapy
How does this treatment help? - Radiation Therapy is the use of radiations of high-energy that can effectively shrink and kill the cancer cells. In general x-rays and gamma rays are used in radiation therapies.
Types of Radiation therapy - Radiation therapy is divided into two types based on the way in which the radiation is provided to the patient. It is known as external beam therapy in cases where a machine outside the body administers the radiation or is known as internal radiation therapy or Brach therapy in case the radiation is provided through a radioactive material that is placed inside the body nearer to the diseased part. In certain cases, radioactive substances like radioactive iodine is placed which travels through the blood to kill the cancer cells. Such kind of radiation therapy is known as systematic therapy.
How does radiation therapy kill the cancer cells? - The radiations that are administered in the therapy damage the DNA of the cells and kill them. The DNA carries genetic information and this is destroyed by radiation either directly or by creation of charged particles which in turn damages the DNA. When the DNA is damaged, the cancer cells stop dividing or die which is then eliminated by the natural process of the body.
Problems of Radiation Therapy - The radiations that are given to the patient kills not only the cancerous cells but also the other normal healthy cells that come in contact with the radiations. Thus this is taken into account when a radiation therapy is planned and only the admissible amount of radiation that the normal cells can withstand is given during the course of the treatment.
Cryosurgery
The treatment mode in which extreme cold is used to destroy cancerous or diseased cells is known cryosurgery or therapy. The cold temperature is produced by use of liquid nitrogen.
How is it carried on? - Liquid nitrogen can be applied directly on the tumor with a cotton swab or a spraying device. This treatment is normally used for treating tumors that are external like those on the skin. It can also be circulated internally through a hollow instrument called the cryoprobe which is used for treatment of internal tumors and tumors of the bone. The cyroprobe is guided inside through ultrasound or MRI which helps the extreme cold get in contact with the tumor.
Types of cancer that can be treated - Cryosurgery is widely used for many types of cancers with precancerous and non-cancerous conditions though it is extensively used for prostate and liver cancer. Researches are in progress to find the level to which cryosurgery can be used as an effective means of cancer therapy for breast and kidney cancer.
Side effects of cryosurgery - Though the side effects associated with cryosurgery are less compared to that of the other traditional methods, it does cause pain and cramping in the area of treatment. Bleeding, scarring and swelling can also be the after effects that are linked with this method of treatment.
Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases the century has seen and the alarming number of people affected by the disease has made the need to find a cure for the disease a desperate one. According to the statistics of WHO, one out of every three women and one out of every two men are prone to cancer in the current world. Though there are many known methods of prevention that have been in use, the number of people affected by the disease is on the rise every year. The only way to treat cancer is early diagnosis and effective treatment immediately. In the recent past, many modern medical researches have increased the cure to about 70-80%.
There are many known methods of cancer therapy like chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, etc. and most of the time more than one of the methods are followed as a treatment course. Let us take a look at each of these modes to understand details about them.
Chemotherapy
What is it? - This is a kind of cancer treatment mode where drugs are used to destroy the cancer cells. This method is also known as chemo in short and is widely practised as a main mode of treatment or a follow-up treatment after surgery. There are many different kinds of Chemotherapy treatments and the choice of treatment depends on the type of cancer and the stage to which the disease has progressed to.
Uses of Chemotherapy - It can be used effectively to destroy cells that are cancerous and stop them from spreading. It is also used as a follow-up method after surgery to slow down the growth of cancer cells.
Chemotherapy as a follow-up treatment - As we discussed, Chemotherapy can be used as a follow-up treatment to either destroy or slow down the cancer cells. It can be used either after radiation or surgery treatments to make sure that the cancer cells do not reappear again. Sometimes it can also be used to destroy cells before a transplant surgery. For example, Chemotherapy is normally suggested before a peripheral blood stem cell transplant.
Side effects of Chemotherapy - Though it is an effective mode of treatment, chemotherapy has its own list of side effects which also needs to be taken into consideration before the start of the treatment. The common side effects of chemotherapy include anaemia, appetite change, constipation, fatigue, hair loss and vomiting issues. Some patients might also experience bleeding problems, infections and other kind of memory or mouth, throat changes. Depending on the type of cancer, it is also possible that chemotherapy can induce fertility changes, swelling and pain along with changes in urination patterns.
How is Chemotherapy administered? - Chemotherapy is the administration of drugs for destroying the cancerous cells and such drugs are normally given either through intravenous or injection methods. An injection into the muscle or other part of the body is provided to get the drug in contact with the affected cells. Sometimes depending on the localization of the disease, chemotherapy is also administered by means of a pill or a cream that can be rubbed on the skin.
Radiation Therapy
How does this treatment help? - Radiation Therapy is the use of radiations of high-energy that can effectively shrink and kill the cancer cells. In general x-rays and gamma rays are used in radiation therapies.
Types of Radiation therapy - Radiation therapy is divided into two types based on the way in which the radiation is provided to the patient. It is known as external beam therapy in cases where a machine outside the body administers the radiation or is known as internal radiation therapy or Brach therapy in case the radiation is provided through a radioactive material that is placed inside the body nearer to the diseased part. In certain cases, radioactive substances like radioactive iodine is placed which travels through the blood to kill the cancer cells. Such kind of radiation therapy is known as systematic therapy.
How does radiation therapy kill the cancer cells? - The radiations that are administered in the therapy damage the DNA of the cells and kill them. The DNA carries genetic information and this is destroyed by radiation either directly or by creation of charged particles which in turn damages the DNA. When the DNA is damaged, the cancer cells stop dividing or die which is then eliminated by the natural process of the body.
Problems of Radiation Therapy - The radiations that are given to the patient kills not only the cancerous cells but also the other normal healthy cells that come in contact with the radiations. Thus this is taken into account when a radiation therapy is planned and only the admissible amount of radiation that the normal cells can withstand is given during the course of the treatment.
Cryosurgery
The treatment mode in which extreme cold is used to destroy cancerous or diseased cells is known cryosurgery or therapy. The cold temperature is produced by use of liquid nitrogen.
How is it carried on? - Liquid nitrogen can be applied directly on the tumor with a cotton swab or a spraying device. This treatment is normally used for treating tumors that are external like those on the skin. It can also be circulated internally through a hollow instrument called the cryoprobe which is used for treatment of internal tumors and tumors of the bone. The cyroprobe is guided inside through ultrasound or MRI which helps the extreme cold get in contact with the tumor.
Types of cancer that can be treated - Cryosurgery is widely used for many types of cancers with precancerous and non-cancerous conditions though it is extensively used for prostate and liver cancer. Researches are in progress to find the level to which cryosurgery can be used as an effective means of cancer therapy for breast and kidney cancer.
Side effects of cryosurgery - Though the side effects associated with cryosurgery are less compared to that of the other traditional methods, it does cause pain and cramping in the area of treatment. Bleeding, scarring and swelling can also be the after effects that are linked with this method of treatment.
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