Cancer Treatment

Cancer is a class of animal disease, medically know as malignant neoplasm, wherein a cluster of cells show unrestrained growth i.e. division beyond the normal limit, intrusion and damage of tissues adjacent to them and spread (via blood or lymph) to other places. This malady is not restricted to just homosapiens but can even affect animals.

Reportedly, 7.6 million people died from cancer in the previous year.

In most of the cases, cancer is identified due to symptoms and its diagnosis is usually confirmed by a pathologist, who is a type of physician specializing in diagnosis of cancer. Suspected people are usually investigated with medical tests like blood test, X-rays, CT scan and endoscopy.

There are various methods for Cancer treatments such as surgery, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy and various other methods. The type of method employed depends on the patient's general health and the location and the stage of the tumour spread.
Complete surgical excision is possible in very few cases since the cancerous tissues usually metastasizes to other places in the patient's body before the surgery. Masectomy is the surgical treatment used for treating breast cancer while for prostate cancer, prostatectomy is used. The aim of carrying out the surgery is to remove the tumour or if required the entire affected organ, which is however unfortunately limited to very few cases of small cancer.

Radiation therapy is also known as radiotherapy. It uses ionizing radiation for killing cancerous cells and shrinking the tumors. It damages the genetic material of the cells thereby preventing them from replicating further. The drawback of this methodology of remedial is that it often damages the normal cells in addition to the harmful ones. Though, in most cases the normal ones recover and re-function properly, it leads to permanent damage in some. It is used in treating brain cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer and also cancer of the skin, prostate, uterus, stomach, or pancreas. Even lymphoma and leukemia can be treated by radiation.

Cancer can also be treated by Chemotherapy which involves use of drugs which destroy rapidly dividing cells. It interferes in various ways with division of cells and has the potential of harming healthy tissues. However after Chemotherapy these healthy cells repair themselves. High dose Chemotherapy is used for treatment of certain lymphomas and leukaemias.

Targeted Therapy is another medium for cure which employs certain agents which are specific for the cancer cells' deregulated protein. It also involves small peptides which bind to the surface cell receptors surrounding the tumour.

Some cancer growth can be checked by either injecting or obstructing certain hormones. Some hormone sensitive cancers are breast and prostate cancer. Removing estrogen or testosterone is also often used as an additional treatment.

Controlling cancer symptoms is not a stereotypical form of treatment aimed at cancer, but it also determines the standard of life of the victims of cancer, and plays a pivotal role in deciding whether the person would be able to undertake other treatments.

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cancer information

Types of Brain Cancer Treatment

There are several different types of brain cancer. It is important to know and understand that treating a brain tumor should be customized to you. While treatments are typically standardized, it is important for the treating doctor to consider your age, as well as any and all health complications that you may experience.

In addition to this, the medical professional must also consider the type of tumor that you suffer from, the location of the tumor, as well as the general size of the abnormal growth. In this health guide, you will learn a little about the different types of brain cancer treatment that you may choose from in order to treat the health complications that you suffer from.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy is a common brain cancer treatment that many individuals with tumors elect to participate in after being urged by their doctor. Machines that emit rays that are filled with a high level of energy work to effectively destroy tumor based cells. This treatment is also effective in reducing the possibility that the cells will grow and continue to multiply in the body.

In most instances, radiation therapy will completely stop the growth and reproduction process of cancerous cells in the brain and other locations in the body. This is an appropriate treatment for those that are not capable of undergoing treatment. Many patients prefer this treatment as it is considered to be local. This means that it only targets cells that are cancerous and not healthy cells.

Chemotherapy

Many patients elect to engage in the brain cancer treatment of chemotherapy. This type of treatment incorporates the use of drugs in order to effectively destroy tumor cells. Many medical professionals will use a combination of several drugs, but there are many that will use only one type of medication when issuing chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy medications are typically taken by mouth, but there are some instances when a medical professional feels that it is most appropriate to issue drugs by an IV. The brain cancer treatment is typically given in what is referred to as a "cycle". This means that a person is issued the medication on an intensive level. Immediately thereafter, there is a time where no treatments are issued. This is the recovery stage.

Typically, the patients that undergo chemotherapy experience many different challenging and uncomfortable symptoms. Many individuals actually describe these symptoms as being unbearable. They include, but are not at all limited, to the following:

• It is common for many to experience nausea. In most cases, this is accompanied by vomiting.
• Sores may start to develop on, in, and around the mouth area in patients that are undergoing chemotherapy.
• Many discover that they simply have no appetite and no desire to indulge in meals while on the treatment.
• Unfortunately, many that engage in this type of brain cancer treatment discover that they lose their hair.