{"id":2876,"date":"2020-09-02T11:36:35","date_gmt":"2020-09-02T11:36:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kauveryhospital.com\/blog\/?p=2876"},"modified":"2023-04-28T06:31:12","modified_gmt":"2023-04-28T06:31:12","slug":"types-of-cancer-treatments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kauveryhospital.com\/blog\/cancer\/types-of-cancer-treatments\/","title":{"rendered":"Types of Cancer Treatments"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cancer can be treated using different types of therapies. The exact choice of therapy will depend on the location, size and spread of the cancer as well as the age and overall health of the patient. Cancer Genome Sequencing is done to determine which cancer the patient exactly has and so which therapy would be most suitable. Each therapy may come with its own side effects, and the doctor will educate you on the same in order to help manage the discomfort and also advise on rehabilitation and changes in your life styles.<\/p>\n

Given below are the six modes of therapies used presently to treat cancer.<\/p>\n

Surgery<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Surgery<\/a> can be used for any of these purposes a. To remove the entire tumour. b. To remove a major bulk of the tumour so that other therapies are effective in removing the rest of it. c. To remove tumours that may be exerting pressure on or causing pain to another organ. Surgery is widely used in cancers of the breast, prostate and lung.<\/p>\n

The doctor may prescribe blood test, chest x-ray and ECG to assess your readiness for surgery.<\/p>\n

Depending on the condition of the cancer, the doctor may choose open surgery or minimally invasive surgery using a laparoscope. In recent years, non-invasive techniques such as Cryosurgery, Lasers, Hyperthermia and Photo-dynamic therapy are being used.<\/p>\n

Radiation Therapy<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Cancer cells have their own DNA and once that is damaged, their ability to grow or divide diminishes. This is what Radiation therapy<\/a> achieves. The damaged cancer cells die and are eventually removed by the body. This process of destroying the cancer cells goes on for weeks or months even after the therapy has stopped.<\/p>\n

There are 2 types of radiation therapy \u2013 external and internal. In external type, a machine outside the body beams radiation at the target spot. In the internal type, a source of radiation is inserted into the body close to the cancerous growth. The source may be solid in nature, in which case the procedure is called brachytherapy, or liquid, in which case it\u2019s called systemic therapy.<\/p>\n

Chemotherapy<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"Chemotherapy\"As the name implies, chemotherapy<\/a> involves injecting chemicals into the body with the aim of destroying the cancer cells, slowing or delaying their growth, to prevent their return and shrink the overall size in order to ease pain, pressure or other symptoms. They can be used before another, more effective therapy is applied.<\/p>\n

The chemical can be given orally in the forms of pills, capsules or liquids, or given directly into a vein (intravenous) or given as an injection shot to a muscle in the arms, legs or belly. It can be injected into the space between the layers of tissue that cover the brain and spinal cord\u00a0 (intra-thecal) or directly into the peritoneal cavity, which is the area in your body that contains organs such as intestines, stomach and liver. It can be injected directly into the artery that leads to the cancer (intra-arterial) or applied as a topical cream on the skin.<\/p>\n

Also Read:<\/strong> Chemotherapy and its role in cancer treatment<\/a><\/div>\n

Immunotherapy<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

The body\u2019s immune system detects disease-causing cells or microbes and generates an immediate response in the form of chemicals or cells that attack the foreign body. For example, when there is a tumour developing in the body, the immune system produces tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes or TILs that try to destroy the cancer cells. Immunotherapy<\/a> aims at improving this ability in different ways.<\/p>\n