Types of Cancer and Treatments
Cancer is a group of diseases that develop when abnormal cells grow and multiply out of control in the body. These cells can form a mass of tissue called a tumor, and may spread to other parts of the body.
There are over 100 different types of cancer, and they all start with one thing in common: a mistake in your genetic blueprint that causes abnormal cells to grow out of control. This can be caused by a number of things, including a mutation or an infection with a virus or bacteria. In some cases, cancer can also be caused by genetically altered foods and environmental factors like UV radiation from sunlight.
The main ways that cancer grows and spreads are by using the bloodstream or lymph system to carry cancer cells to distant parts of your body, where they can form more tumors. This process is called metastasis.
In order for cancer to be diagnosed, the doctor will need to look at a patient’s medical history, perform tests and perform a physical exam. This exam will help the doctor identify what type of cancer a patient has and how advanced it is.
Some types of cancer can be identified at an early stage, which is important because this is when treatment is most effective. Most cancers show warning signs that can be recognized by a doctor, but some symptoms are more difficult to detect because they may be similar to other health problems.
If the diagnosis is made early, treatment will focus on treating the disease locally. For example, surgery to remove a tumor or drugs that can kill cancer cells are often used.
During surgery, the surgeon cuts out the tumor and removes some of the surrounding healthy tissue. Afterward, chemotherapy or other medications are given to kill the remaining cancer cells and to shrink the tumor size.
Other treatments can be given to treat the symptoms of a cancer or to relieve side effects caused by other treatments. These include pain medications, hormone therapy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (treatments before the primary cancer treatment).
Hormone Therapy
Many cancers are fueled by hormones that affect growth and development. Hormone therapies use surgery or drugs to stop or block these hormones, which can slow or kill the cancer cells.
Hyperthermia is a type of heat treatment that uses hot air or other sources of heat to destroy cancer cells. This can be done through a machine outside the body or by a needle inserted into the tumor.
Chemotherapy is a group of drugs that target cancer cells and kill them by interrupting their ability to grow and divide. It is used to treat a variety of cancers and is given over several weeks or months through a permanent catheter placed under the skin into a larger blood vessel.
Neoadjuvant Therapy
During this phase of treatment, doctors use medicines before the primary cancer treatments to make them more effective. These drugs can slow or stop the growth of a cancer, prevent it from spreading to other parts of the body, or relieve symptoms like pain and shortness of breath.
Cancer is a group of diseases that develop when abnormal cells grow and multiply out of control in the body. These cells can form a mass of tissue called a tumor, and may spread to other parts of the body. There are over 100 different types of cancer, and they all start with one thing in common: a mistake in your genetic blueprint that causes abnormal cells to grow out of control. This can be caused by a number of things, including a mutation or an infection with a virus or bacteria. In some cases, cancer can also be caused by genetically altered foods and environmental factors like UV radiation from sunlight. The main ways that cancer grows and spreads are by using the bloodstream or lymph system to carry cancer cells to distant parts of your body, where they can form more tumors. This process is called metastasis. In order for cancer to be diagnosed, the doctor will need to look at a patient’s medical history, perform tests and perform a physical exam. This exam will help the doctor identify what type of cancer a patient has and how advanced it is. Some types of cancer can be identified at an early stage, which is important because this is when treatment is most effective. Most cancers show warning signs that can be recognized by a doctor, but some symptoms are more difficult to detect because they may be similar to other health problems. If the diagnosis is made early, treatment will focus on treating the disease locally. For example, surgery to remove a tumor or drugs that can kill cancer cells are often used. During surgery, the surgeon cuts out the tumor and removes some of the surrounding healthy tissue. Afterward, chemotherapy or other medications are given to kill the remaining cancer cells and to shrink the tumor size. Other treatments can be given to treat the symptoms of a cancer or to relieve side effects caused by other treatments. These include pain medications, hormone therapy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (treatments before the primary cancer treatment). Hormone Therapy Many cancers are fueled by hormones that affect growth and development. Hormone therapies use surgery or drugs to stop or block these hormones, which can slow or kill the cancer cells. Hyperthermia is a type of heat treatment that uses hot air or other sources of heat to destroy cancer cells. This can be done through a machine outside the body or by a needle inserted into the tumor. Chemotherapy is a group of drugs that target cancer cells and kill them by interrupting their ability to grow and divide. It is used to treat a variety of cancers and is given over several weeks or months through a permanent catheter placed under the skin into a larger blood vessel. Neoadjuvant Therapy During this phase of treatment, doctors use medicines before the primary cancer treatments to make them more effective. These drugs can slow or stop the growth of a cancer, prevent it from spreading to other parts of the body, or relieve symptoms like pain and shortness of breath.