The Most Common Cancer Treatments

The Most Common Cancer Treatments

It is reported that cancer is the second most common cause of death in the United States after heart disease. However, a significant percentage of the newly diagnosed tumor can be treated and healed. Although cancer is effectively treatable when detected early. Unfortunately, some cancer strains develop entirely without symptoms, and it can be devastating to realize you already have the disease. Now, because cancer has no specific symptoms, people are advised to take regular screening and limit their risk factors that would increase chances for cancer.

The best way to fight cancer is by prevention through minimizing or limiting risk factors and early screening. Consequently, people should be aware of the symptoms, which might point out to cancer. People should not ignore these symptoms that might lead to early diagnosis and possibly cure. These are some of the symptoms that might be a warning indicator of cancer:

  • Blood in the stool
  • Change in bowel habit
  • Breast lump(s)
  • Lump in testicles
  • Persistent cough
  • Continual aching of the genital and anal area
  • Unable to swallow food
  • Headaches

Cancer treatment involves the use of medication, surgery, radiation, and other therapies to cure, shrink, or stop the progress of cancer. Depending on your condition, you might receive a specific treatment or a combination of different treatments. Cancer treatment options include:

1. Cancer surgery
Surgery aims to remove as much cancer as possible. There are many types of surgery that can be carried out. Cancer surgery differs based on the part of the body that requires surgery, the number of tissues needed to be removed, and in some cases, the choice of the patient.

2. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy (or chemo) is the use of drugs as a cancer treatment option to kill target cancer cells. Chemo works by stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells, which multiplies very quickly. However, chemo also kills the growth of healthy cells that grow and divide very rapidly. Example of cells that causes your hair to grow. Side effects usually get better or go away once you have finished your chemo.

3. Stem cell transplant
This is a procedure that is aimed at restoring blood-forming stem cells to cancer patients who might have had theirs destroyed by a very high dose of chemo or radiation therapy. The blood-forming stem cell is injected by a needle through a blood vessel and travels to the bone marrow, where they replace the cells that were destroyed during treatment.

4. Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is often utilized cancer treatment prior to or used following surgery to further shrink cancerous tissues (i.e., a tumor). Radiation applies intense beams of energy, such as x-rays or protons, in order to destroy cancer cells. The most common form of radiation used in cancer treatment is external beam radiation therapy.