Skip to main content

Types of treatments

By

The treatment of cancer has undergone evolutionary changes as understanding of the underlying biological processes has increased. Tumor removal surgeries have been documented in ancient Egypt, hormone therapy and radiation therapy were developed in the late 19th Century. Chemotherapy, immunotherapy and newer targeted therapies are products of the 20th century. As new information about the biology of cancer emerges, treatments will be developed and modified to increase effectiveness, precision, survivability, and quality of life.
Surgery
In theory, non-hematological cancers can be cured if entirely removed by surgery, but this is not always possible. When the cancer has metastasized to other sites in the body prior to surgery, complete surgical excision is usually impossible. In the Halstedian model of cancer progression, tumors grow locally, then spread to the lymph nodes, then to the rest of the body. This has given rise to the popularity of local-only treatments such as surgery for small cancers. Even small localized tumors are increasingly recognized as possessing metastatic potential.
Examples of surgical procedures for cancer include mastectomy for breast cancer, prostatectomy for prostate cancer, and lung cancer surgery for non-small cell lung cancer. The goal of the surgery can be either the removal of only the tumor, or the entire organ. A single cancer cell is invisible to the naked eye but can regrow into a new tumor, a process called recurrence. For this reason, the pathologist will examine the surgical specimen to determine if a margin of healthy tissue is present, thus decreasing the chance that microscopic cancer cells are left in the patient.
In addition to removal of the primary tumor, surgery is often necessary for staging, e.g. determining the extent of the disease and whether it has metastasized to regional lymph nodes. Staging is a major determinant of prognosis and of the need for adjuvant therapy.
Occasionally, surgery is necessary to control symptoms, such as spinal cord compression or bowel obstruction. This is referred to as palliative treatment.
Surgery may be performed before or after other forms of treatment. Treatment before surgery is often described as neoadjuvant. In breast cancer, the survival rate of patients who receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy are no different to those who are treated following surgery. Giving chemotherapy earlier allows oncologists to evaluate the effectiveness of the therapy, and may make removal of the tumor easier. However, the survival advantages of neoadjuvant treatment in lung cancer are less clear.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Treatment

By
Treatment may refer to: Health or well-being: Medical treatment i.e., medical case management Therapy for any impairments Pain management A particular process or intervention specified in the design of an experiment Mechanical or chemical modifications to some material: Water treatment Sewage treatment Surface treatment, "finishing" processes in manufacturing or a craft The meaning conveyed by a bid that is not made to invoke a bridge convention "Treatment" (song), 2012 single by Labrinth "The silent treatment", a form of social rejection Film treatment, prose telling of a story intended to be turned into a screenplay National treatment, economic concept focused on grantings to foreigners of rights similar to those of domestic nationals Treatment group, the collection of items or individuals receiving the same treatment in an experiment Window treatment, any of various styling choices specific to the i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shock Treatment

By
Shock Treatment is a 1981 American black comedy musical film directed by Jim Sharman, co-written by Sharman and Richard O'Brien. It was a follow-up to the 1975 film The Rocky Horror Picture Show. While not an outright sequel, the film does feature several characters from the previous film portrayed by different actors and several Rocky Horror actors in the roles of new characters. The film stars Jessica Harper as Janet and Cliff De Young in a dual role as Brad and the film's main antagonist Farley Flavors, with O'Brien and Patricia Quinn as sibling character actors. Given in a limited release on the midnight movie circuit beginning on October 30, 1981, Shock Treatment was a critical and commercial failure, not earning the same level of cult film status its predecessor received. Since its release, the film has grown a more minor cult following than its ...
1 comment
Read more

Influenza treatment

By
Treatments for influenza include a range of medications and therapies that are used in response to disease influenza. Treatments may either directly target the influenza virus itself; or instead they may just offer relief to symptoms of the disease, while the body's own immune system works to recover from infection. The two main classes of antiviral drugs used against influenza are neuraminidase inhibitors, such as zanamivir and oseltamivir, or inhibitors of the viral M2 protein, such as amantadine and rimantadine. These drugs can reduce the severity of symptoms if taken soon after infection and can also be taken to decrease the risk of infection. However, virus strains have emerged that show drug resistance to both classes of drug. Symptomatic treatment Stay at home Get plenty of rest Drink a lot of liquids Do not smoke or drink alcohol Consider over-...
Post a Comment
Read more