By Stuart Ben

Whenever one hears about 'Cancer Treatments' they immediately think of the words: 'chemotherapy' and 'radiation'. It is unknown to most how a cancer patient's treatment is specifically determined. Patients do not know when will one receive chemotherapy or radiation treatments (or maybe both) and when one will undergo surgery or maybe none of the above as they will be introduced to additional treatment options.

Firstly, it should be known that each cancer patient receives a personal tailored treatment plan, according to his or her cancerous tumor. When an oncologist approaches a patient in order to start planning his treatment regime we will look in to a few different factors including the location of the cancer, the stage of the cancer, has it spread to other organs, the size of the growth and the specific type of the disease. In some cases the oncologist may also take into consideration the age and general health of the patient and in women, the doctor can take into consideration future procreation preferences. Once all this is known, the oncologist will design a treatment plan designated for the patient.

Surgery is one main option for cancer removal, depending on the tumor of course. Not every cancer is operable as it depends on the stage, size and location of the growth. If the cancerous cells are accessible and the tumor is still in its early stages, then the surgeon will prefer to try and remove the whole tumor at once, pending on the fact that the cancer hasn't spread. Sometimes, if the infected organ is not vital to the patient's life (a kidney or the uterus for example) then it is possible the surgeon will want to remove the whole organ that contains the cancer. Sometimes there can be a partial removal of organs with the cancerous cells.

A surgery can be accompanied by additional treatments and may not be enough by itself. These additional treatments can include chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses drugs to try and kill the cancerous cells in the patient's body. The drugs are usually given in cycles that are supposed to maximize its affect which is to stop or slow down the growth of the cancer cells in the body. The specific type of chemo drugs is decided based on the type of cancer, whether you've gone through chemotherapy before and other health problems you might have. As stated above, chemotherapy can be the only cancer treatment; however, it will usually be given along with surgery, radiation therapy, or biological therapy.

Radiation therapy describes the use of high-energy radiation (x-rays or gamma rays) to shrink tumors and destroy cancerous cells. The radiation destroys the cell's DNA and cells with damaged DNA stop dividing or die. The rays are delivers by an external machine or from a radioactive device temporarily placed within the patient's body. As with chemotherapy, radiation is often given along with other types of treatments.

Beyond these three most common treatments, there are additional types of cancer treatments. Biological therapy, similar to chemotherapy, fights cancer with the use of drugs. However, biotherapy works with the immune system and helps the immune system cells fight cancer while chemotherapy directly attacks the cancerous cells. Thyroid cancer is treated sometimes with the use of radioactive Iodine I-131 which is absorbed into the bloodstream with the intention to begin destroying the gland's cells and there are also hormonal treatments that are supposed to balance hormones that encourage the growth of cancerous cells in the body

As a final counter measure, cancer patients should always inquire about experimental treatments and try to get in to clinical trials designated for cancer patients.

By Ally Woodrum

of the liver is a fairly rare disease, with approximately 16,000 diagnosed cases in the U.S. per year. Primary liver cancer occurs when the disease begins in the liver, which is actually very rare. The most common type of liver cancer is metastatic or secondary. Metastatic liver cancer occurs when cancer cells from another part of the body spread (or metastasize) to the liver. Because there is a tumor in the body that has already spread or metastasized, this disease is very deadly. Do liver cancer alternative treatments exist? Yes.

Natural and alternative treatments for cancer of the liver or any other cancer target the immune system and the whole body. This is because all cancer is a failure of the immune system, for some reason it has not done its job of finding and killing cancerous cells.

Everyone has cancerous cells in his or her body at all times, they occur when a cell has been damaged and its DNA mutates. When this damaged cell divides and replicates itself, the damaged DNA is also replicated, and the new cell is a cancerous cell. The immune system is programmed to find and destroy these mutated cells. and normally does this job very effectively.

If the immune system is weak or has also been damaged, some of the cancerous cells may not be destroyed, and they will continue to replicate. Eventually a tumor will form. So the first priority of alternative cancer treatment is to strengthen and boost the immune system so it can function properly. This is normally done through dietary changes and the addition of different types of supplements.

Many people do not know that there are also specialized alternative cancer clinics that use cutting edge equipment, drugs and procedures to treat cancer. These clinics are located mainly in Mexico and Germany, although there are a handful in the U.S. Liver cancer alternative treatments in these clinics can be very effective.

If you have been diagnosed with any this disease, especially secondary or metastatic liver cancer, start boosting your immune system by improving your diet immediately while you research your treatment options. Pay special attention to the treatments available at alternative cancer clinics, especially those in Germany and Mexico.