Cancer treatment
What is Cancer?
Cancer is uncontrolled abnormal growth of cells which results in the formation of tumors causing multiple disease symptoms and destruction of body tissue. It weakens the immune system and has the capability to spread across the body.
It is one of the leading causes of the death worldwide but recent advancements in its screening, treatment and surgery has been able to control it significantly.
Cancer is generally divided into four categories
- Carcinomas- affects the skin or the tissue covering the surface of internal organs and glands.
- Sarcomas- affects the supporting or connective tissues of the body.
- Leukemias- often referred as cancer of blood or blood cancer.
- Lymphomas- cancer of the lymph nodes or lymphatic system.
Most common cancer forms
- Breast Cancer
- Prostate Cancer
- Basal Cell Cancer
- Melanoma
- Lung Cancer
- Colon Cancer
- Thyroid Cancer
- Head & Neck Cancer
- Brain Cancer
- Liver Cancer
- Stomach Cancer
- Kidney Cancer
- Bladder Cancer
Symptoms leading to Cancer
Signs and symptoms depends on the body parts affected, some common symptoms are as follows:
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- Fatigue or lack of energy and enthusiasm
- Lump formation under the skin leading to solidification or thickening of cells.
- Feeling of breathlessness and persistent coughing.
- Weight Changes either loss or gain of weight
- Skin changes such as redness, darkness of skin, unhealed sores, etc.
- Uneasy bowel movements or changes in bladder habits.
- Unexplained bleeding, bruising, yellowing of skin
- Muscle and joint pain, hoarseness, difficulty in swallowing.
Causes of Cancer
Cancer is caused by mutations or changes in DNA within cells. The coded genetic signals carried to DNA gets affected by the external factors causing uncontrolled growth of cells leading to the formation of malign tumors resulting in causing cancer.
Generally the external agents whose interaction affects an individual genetic function are:
Physical Carcinogens- ultraviolet and ionizing radiations
Chemical Carcinogens- Free radicals and components of tobacco, cigarettes, smoke , asbestos, alcohol, alfa-toxins, arsenic (water contaminent); and
Biological Carcinogens- this includes parasites, bacterial, and viral infections.
Risk Factors
- Exposure to free radicals and carcinogens
- Excessive Alcohol
- Obesity
- Poor Diet
- Lethargic lifestyle or lack of physical activity
- Age
- Particular type of infections
Cancer treatments in India
Cancer treatments depend on the type and magnitude of malignancy. Cancer treatment is a combination of surgery, therapy, radiation and medication based on the medical conditions.
Usually cancer treatment involves Screening, Diagnosis & Staging and Treatment.
Screening is done to pre-diagnose the cancer symptoms or finding of any developing cancerous tumors in the body in order to take preventive measures and avoid malignancy in the future. Early detection of cancer plays a vital role in the treatment of cancer. Screening involves tests like blood and urine tests, medical imaging, DNA tests etc. It is generally recommended in lung, colon, cervix and breast cancer.
Diagnosis and Staging is performed according to the size and types of tumors.
Blood Cancer: Blood investigations which include total leukocytes count, haemoglobin, red cell indices, platelets count and peripheral smear are conducted. Bone marrow examinations such as cytogenetics, aspiration, molecular studies, fluorescent in situ hybridization and flow cytometry are performed.
Lymphoma: Molecular studies, Histopathological examination involving Lymph Excision Biopsy and immunohistochemistry are performed. Other diagnostic tests include LDH, KFT, Serum uric acid. Imaging tests such as PET CT, CT Scan and Bone Marrow Biopsy .
Solid tumors: Biopsy investigations, X-Ray, Computerised Tomography, MRI, Endoscopy, PET CT, Tumor Markers such as AFP, CEA, CA 125, Beta-HCG and PSA-Prostate Specific Antigen.
The treatment of cancer usually involves following stages:
Primary Treatment: Involves surgical procedure or therapy with the aim to complete remove malignant tumor or to kill the entire cancerous cells.
Adjuvant Treatment: This is done to remove or eradicate any cancerous cells which persist after primary treatment in order to stop any future revival or growth of cancerous tumors in the body. It involves therapies like chemotherapy, hormone and radiation therapy.
Palliative Treatment: Palliative treatments are done to remove any side effects of the chemotherapy, radiation and hormone therapies. It is also involves medication to suppress or eradicate signs and symptoms caused by the cancerous tumors such as weight loss, pain, shortness of breath, indigestion, loss of hair etc.
Cancer Treatment Procedures at Healyou24
Surgery– Focus on total removal of Cancerous tumors or to achieve maximum possible level.
Radiation Therapy– Exposure to radiation through energy beams involving X-rays or protons to kill cancer cells.
Chemotherapy– Anti cancer drug chemicals to kill cancer cells. It is done in stages to regulate the doses according to the severity and presence of remaining cancer cells.
Hormone Therapy- Involves blocking or stopping release of hormones, most commonly used in the treatment of breast and prostate cancer.
Targeted drug Therapy- Procedures such as VEGF, EGFR, ALK & Her 2 Neu Inhibitors.
Immunotherapy: Triggering or helping immune system to identify malign tumors and acting as first line of defense by attacking and killing cancer cells.
Bone Marrow TransplantRadiofrequency Ablation-Use of electrical energy to heat cancer cells leading to their death due to overheating or burning.
Cryoablation- Use of cooling to kill cancer cells. In this procedure a cryoprobe needle is inserted through the skin into the affected tumor, after that a gas is passed through it to expose the cancerous cells at very low tempartures. Finally the cold cells die due to excessive cooling and it is further thawed to complete the clinical procedure.
Clinical Trials: Researches are doing thousands of clinical trials in medical laboratories and institutions to devise new surgical and medical techniques for the effective and successful treatment of different types of cancers.
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