Choosing a treatment program for cancer
Cancer is a fatal disease. The number of deaths around the globe due to cancer is at a larger scale. Any treatment for cancer aims at destroying the cancer cells and as far as possible prevents its re-occurring. It is the responsibility of your doctor, to help you understand the various treatment programs available. In addition, he should recommend you the suitable one according to the severity of the cancer in your body that is the stage of your cancer, your age and health. The potential side effects of the treatment program should also be kept in mind.
It is advisable that you along with your doctor discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the each treatment program and also discuss about the alternate therapies. The three most important types if treatments available for the cancer are radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery, and other biological therapies. These treatment programs are also used in combinations, depending on the severity of the cancer. Given below are some briefs on the various treatment programs available to choose from.
Radiotherapy uses special kinds of X-rays or radiations to stop the multiplication of the cancerous cells and to destroy them. The advantage of radiotherapy is that a patient undergoing radiotherapy does not experience any pain and also there is no need of any surgery. Usually, to remove and to hamper the growth of cancer tumors, radiotherapy is used in combination with surgery for effective results.
Chemotherapy is greatly practiced around the globe for treating different types of cancer. Chemotherapy includes, use of various medicines to destroy the cancer cells. Though the side effects of chemotherapy are severe, they can be reduced with the help of medicines. Many times, the tumor is removed by surgery and then chemotherapy is used for killing of the remaining cancer cells.
Surgery is the most common treatment and can be very successful in treating specific types of cancer. Malignant tumors can be safely removed with the help of surgery. The other biological treatments increase the immune system of the body to combat the cancer cells. In addition, hormone therapy is used for treating cancer.
Along with choosing a treatment program for cancer, one needs to very determine to fight against the cancer.
