Today, oncology offers a wide array of cancer treatments.
Surgery
Surgery is the oldest and yet most reliable way for cancer
treatment. There are several different surgical procedures used to remove cancer
from the body. Let’s take a look at some of these.
Curative surgery
It is also called primary surgery and is usually undertaken when
oncologists are sure that the cancerous tumor is only limited to one part of
the body. The whole bulk of the cancerous cells are removed through surgery.
Surgical debulking
Surgical debulking is the
process which is done when some but not all of the cancerous cells are removed
through surgery. Surgical debulking is usually chosen when there are chances
that the removal of the entire tumor could result in irrevocable damage to adjacent
tissues, organs or veins. The portion of the cancerous tumor that is left is
then treated by non-invasive procedures.
Palliative surgery
Palliative surgery is conducted on patients that are going
through advanced stages of cancer. The objective of this surgery is to decrease
the discomfort and disability caused by large cancer tumors. This procedure
does not cure the cancer itself, but alleviates the symptoms to give patients a
better quality of life.
Prophylactic surgery
In this type of surgical procedure, those body tissues are
removed that are vulnerable to cancer, so prophylactic surgery is basically a risk
prevention measure. For instance, women with a strong family history of breast
cancer sometimes inherit mutated breast cancer genes which place them at a very
high risk of contracting breast cancer. In this case, preemptive removal of the
breasts may be recommended by oncologists as a preventive measure.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy uses highly energized electromagnetic rays
to kill and shrink cancerous cells. Radiations is a couple of different methods
to treat cancer.
External beam therapy
In this procedure, the affected area of the body is subjected
to radioactive beams from an external source. It is considered as a localized
treatment because the whole body is not exposed to radioactive rays, which in
themselves can be quite hazardous.
Internal Radiation therapy
In this cancer treatment, a radiation source is put inside
the body at the location of the tumor, in either solid or liquid form. Internal
radiation is given when the size of the tumor is too small and it is located in
the vicinity of vital tissues and organs that are sensitive to the radiation.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment which uses cytotoxic
drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy is often prescribed before surgical
removal of the tumor due to its non-invansive nature. For some cancer patients,
where surgery is out of the question, this is the only option.
Hormone therapy
In some specific types of cancers (prostate and breast
cancer), cancer cells use the body’s hormones to grow. Hormone therapy
suppresses the production of these hormones which consequently helps in retarding
the growth of the cancerous tumor.
Apart from these traditional medical cancer treatments;
there are great numbers of people who opt for complementary and alternative medicine
(CAM). CAM is a broad term used for medical practices and products that are derived
from conventional ways of treating cancer. These treatments are usually chosen by
people to avoid the side effects of chemotherapy.
..............................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................
Sources
..........................................................................................................................................................
DR. JESSE A. STOFF is an internationally renowned physician with extensive credentials in clinical immunology and holistic medicine. A graduate of New York Medical College , he pursued extensive post-doctoral training including a fellow- ship at the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital in London , England
This article is produced and written by the writing team at IMMUNOLOGY TODAY- The Official Newsletter of Integrative Medicine of N.Y. of Westbury NY-- Edited and co-published by Dr. Jesse A. Stoff exclusively for the purposes of this blogpost (Immunology Today) and rejuvenatesoliutions.com The publisher(s) hold all rights (c) to all elements, images and content herein. All distribution, sharing or re-posting of this article is only with the express permission from Dr. Stoff and Integrative Medicine of NY (formerly Linchitz Medical Wellness). 265 Post Ave. Suite 380 Westbury, NY 11590 | 516.759.4200 | www.StoffImmunology.com. Rejuvenate! is a registered trademark of Intermedia Communications Ltd. All written content in this newsletter is produced by the Stoff Institute for Medical Research (SIMR) exclusively for private distribution at the Integrative Medicine of NY ©2016- All Rights Reserved.
DISCLAIMER: All information provided in this article is intended as general public information and is not intended to treat or cure any disease or disorder. Dr. Jesse A. Stoff, Integrative medicine of NY, nor any individual or practitioner associated with the publishing of this article is not liable for any damages resulting from the use of the information on this article. As a visitor of this blogsite, you acknowledge and agree that any reliance on or use by you of any information available on this Internet web site shall be entirely at your own risk. In no event shall the owner or operator be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential or exemplary damages arising from the use or the performance of this Internet web site, even if the owner or operator has been advised of the possibility of such damages. While every attempt has been made to verify the information on this website, neither the owners, distributors, agents, publishers or their affiliates assume any responsibility or liability for any error, inaccuracies, omissions in the same, or related to results from use of these materials. No party is liable for any direct, incidental, consequential, indirect, or punitive damages arising out of your access to, or use of this blogsite and the contents herein..
