Empowering Hope: Innovations and Advancements in Cancer Treatment
The Eternal Battle
Cancer, one of the most terrorizing diseases known to man-kind, continues to inflict havoc and fear on the people to this day. Year after year, more than 10 million people lose their lives in the battle against cancer. As far as we know, no cure has yet been discovered because of the complex and varying nature of this illness. However, there are multiple treatment methods which have shown a high degree of success over the years, curing many cancer patients.. Even if a cure isn’t possible, treatment can also be used to slow down the growth rate of cancer, allowing patients to live longer symptom-free lives. Cancer treatment is truly a fascinating subject, working wonders to save countless lives. In this article, I will be talking about each of the 3 main ways of treating cancer.
Surgery
Starting off with the most common method of treatment for cancer, we have physical surgery. When used as a form of cancer treatment, the primary goal of this procedure is to remove as many cancer cells as possible to slow down the rate of growth and maybe even cure the patient of cancer. During the operation, surgeons will make incisions into the human body using scalpels and other sharp instruments to search for large masses of cancer called tumors. Depending on the type of cancer, surgeons can either entirely remove a tumor within a contained area or debulk a tumor which has connected itself to vital body organs. Surgery is far more effective during the early stages of cancer when tumors are isolated within a set area because they can easily be removed without causing further damage to other body parts. However, in later stages of cancer, tumors begin spreading onto organs, making it difficult to remove it without causing excessive damage to the body. In these instances, debulking is the only viable method to treat this cancer surgically, but unfortunately, cancer cells have to remain. Surgeons will exert their utmost efforts to make sure the surgery is successful. Even so, aftermath problems will still remain. Quite often, patients will experience excessive pain which requires heavy drugs to suppress and even risk internal infections. Sometimes, surgery is the only treatment needed to fully cure cancer, yet the majority of the time, some type of follow up treatment will be required.
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is a highly effective type of cancer treatment which involves manipulating heavy doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. The fundamental principle behind radiotherapy lies in the ability of powerful electromagnetic waves (X-Rays, Gamma Rays, Electron Beams, Proton Beams, Neutron Beams) to penetrate the human body and produce highly reactive free radicals and ionizing particles which can interact and damage the DNA molecules of cancer cells. When the genetic material of cancer is damaged beyond repair, cancer cells can no longer replicate indefinitely and it initiates apoptosis (programmed cell death). The actual delivery of radiotherapy can take 2 different forms, external or internal. External radiotherapy is more commonly used. With the help of technologically advanced imaging techniques, machines can accurately direct high energy electromagnetic waves at tumors from different angles while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy cells. Unlike external radiotherapy, internal radiotherapy emits radiation from within the body. Radioactive material in the form of seeds, wires, ribbons, or capsules is surgically implanted next to a tumor to precisely emit radiation towards cancer cells, again minimizing damage to surrounding healthy cells. Like any other cancer treatment, none is 100% perfect. By undergoing radiotherapy, you risk damaging cellular DNA of healthy cells due to the lack of perfection in accuracy. This is why occasional intervals between treatment durations are needed to allow healthy cells to recover from excess exposure to heavy radiation. Other major side effects include nausea, fatigue, hair loss, changes in skin texture, earaches, tooth decay, and trouble swallowing. Overall, radiotherapy is a highly effective cancer treatment method with minor side effects.
Chemotherapy
Have you ever wondered why many cancer patients are bald? It is probably because of chemotherapy, a very popular cancer treatment method which involves using heavy drugs to suppress the growth rate, kill cancer cells, and restrain the symptoms of cancer. Chemotherapy is often administered to patients to prepare them for other follow-up treatment procedures such as surgery and radiotherapy. This treatment can be given through various different ways including oral intake, direct injection into a muscle, or IV infusion. When these drugs enter your body, they specifically target rapidly growing and replicating cells. Chemo drugs have no way of identifying cancer cells apart from other fast-growing cells like skin and hair, killing any type of cell which can quickly grow and divide in its path. Much like radiotherapy, chemotherapy drugs inflict damage towards cellular DNA and block off vital proteins necessary for cancer cells to survive, leading to cellular death or the suppression of growth rate. Due to the heavy exposure to different drugs throughout this treatment process, chemotherapy has a wide array of side effects such as nausea, vomiting, fatigue, fever, weakness, bleeding, easy bruising, and many more. Chemotherapy, like the other treatment methods, are all effective in the fight against cancer.
The Dawn of A New World
Thanks to modern medicine, cancer patients can be a lot more hopeful about the recovery process. Surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy all serve as viable methods to fight against this devastating disease. As time passes, more and more technological advancements and medical breakthroughs will take place — creating a brighter future for all cancer patients. Thank you for reading my article and please check out my other posts. I appreciate you for reading to the end.
