Cancer, Health Care

Know How To Treat Cancer

[toc]CancerThe various techniques to treat cancer aim at the single goal of destroying the cancer cells. The cancerous cells are destroyed using various methods. However, this is a very challenging task. The cancerous cells that are removed should never come back is what the oncologist aims.

However, even a single cancer cell that remains can cause several other dangerous problems. New tumor can occur because of this. There are many options to treat cancer. The doctors go for the various methods based on the severity of the disease. Ongoing treatment is required to treat cancer and you need to know how to treat cancer and what are the techniques used.


Ways To Treat Cancer

Surgical Option

Surgical OptionWhen it comes to the cancer treatment, the most common method used to treat the patient is the surgery. The cancerous cells are removed during the surgery. The type of surgery used depends on the type of cancer and the severity. Before the surgery the patients undergo chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The doctors may also suggest these therapies after the surgery. Laparoscopic surgery or the keyhole surgery can also be done, if the situation allows. The advancement in science also has paved way for robotic surgery for treating cancer.


Radiotherapy

RadiotherapyNearly 40 percent of the cancer patients need to undergo radiotherapy. This therapy involves passing of the rays which are of high energy to the cancer affected cells. These rays are precisely targeted to the affected cells. The task is carried out by the radiologists who are qualified for this task. When the cancerous cells are damaged the DNA and proteins are also destroyed. The molecules inside the cells are destroyed which means the cancerous cells are completely killed.



Chemotherapy

ChemotherapyA few drugs inhibit the process of cell division. This helps in killing the cancerous cells or stops them from growing in numbers. This is the concept behind the process of chemotherapy. The drugs work either by damaging the protein involved in cell division or the DNA itself is destroyed. While the cancerous cells are damaged, the healthy cells too are affected. There are researches going on to develop the smart drugs which can precisely target the cancerous cells.


Immunotherapy

ImmunotherapyThe immune system of the body can identify the foreign bodies like bacteria, virus, etc. and destroy them. As cancer is the disease that starts within the cell, the body cannot recognize it initially. There are antibody drugs which boost the immune system and make the system recognize the cancer cells and destroy them. There are also vaccines which help the immune system to identify the cancer cells and to destroy them. Currently, rituximab and trastuzumab are used in the treatment of immunotherapy.


Hormone Therapy

The hormones are responsible for the changes that occur in the cells and the tissues. The hormones are produced in a few areas in the body. A few cancers are associated with the hormones. For instance, the estrogen may lead to the growth of breast cancer. With the drugs the doctors can kill the cancerous cells as these drugs adjust the hormone levels. While breast cancer gives successful results when treated with the hormone therapy, the prostate cancer also shows signs of improvement with the new drugs.

Regardless of the therapy used to treat the various types of cancers, it is essential to understand that the patients require patience and must stay motivated for getting complete success.

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