Cancer is the deadliest disease that mankind has ever experienced and it has been for ages been in the top three contributors for the highest number of deaths accompanied with HIV and Heart-attack. Advancements in science and technology have brought in many cancer treatment methods and drugs to cure cancer. Some methods are very effective, some are effective and some are not at all effective.

But mankind has not found a way to completely eradicate cancer and its forms however they have been partially successful in improving the survival rates of all the patients suffering from cancer. So, this article will tell you some of the popular methods used for the treatment of cancer.

Treatment of cancer

The cancer treatment methods are listed below;

  • Surgery
  • Chemotherapy
  • Radiotherapy
  • Other methods

 


Cancer surgery

Surgical methods to eradicate cancer are the most versatile method of cancer treatment. This is used to cure/partially cure all kinds of cancers be it breast cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, skin cancer, bladder cancer, leukemia and all other forms of cancer disease.

The cancer treatment procedure involves removing of the affected region from the host and either replacing it with a new transplant or leaving as such depending on the portion which is removed.

For example, if it is pancreatic cancer, the area removed are the pancreatic head and other affected areas. The separated portion is then joined with the jejunum thus eliminating the need of a transplant. However, in the case of lung cancer, it is of primary importance that lung transplants are made for the survival of the patient.

Same is the case with leukemia as well. The patient suffering from leukemia will be given a complete transfusion of blood for consistent and periodic intervals, say three months. The Transfusion is a costly endeavor and the patient can extend the life to a mere four or five years.

New Treatment Options

Cryosurgery is the newest advancement in the field of surgical related treatment procedure for cancer. This involves the use of nitrogen and argon gas to remove the affected tissues i.e. the malignant cells. This is indeed a very good and effective means of treating cancer and is better than conventional surgery in the context that it is less invasive.  Retinal cancer, cervical cancer, uterine cancer, actinic keratosis, skin cancer etc can be treated very effectively with cryosurgery.

Chemotherapy

The use of drugs to cure cancer is also proving to be effective with scientific advancements happening everyday. The production of newer and more powerful drugs like the Herceptin, Cyclophosphamide etc have changed the entire scenario. The advantage with chemotherapy is that is more topical than intrusive.

The transfer of drugs is done through intra venous injections, orally or just a normal injection. There is a common misconception that chemotherapy is not as effective as surgical methods. It is very effective in curing cancers like skin cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer etc.

Radiotherapy

The radiation cancer treatment therapy or the X-ray therapy is another new field that is used for cancer cure. The use of radiations to penetrate deep into the body and then destroy the unwanted cells is the concept of this technique. There are many types of radiation therapies and some of them are the palliative radiation therapy, prophylactic radiation therapy, external and internal radiation therapy, interstitial radiation therapy, systemic radiation therapy and many more. This is also proving to be very effective in curing prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer and breast cancer.

Other methods

Other method of treatment of cancer involves angiogenesis, bone marrow transplantation therapy (specific for lymphoma) biological therapies, gene therapies, photodynamic therapies, targeted cancer therapies etc.

Though mankind has found ways to bring in newer and better technologies to improve the treatment methods, they are running for a losing cause. The advancements could add only an extra five or six years to the patients. Avoiding the onset of this disease is the only perfect solution. So in my opinion, prevention is the best treatment for cancer and it what you can do now.