Breast cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer are just three types of cancers among many. Although the severity and locations of these cancers vary, the foundation for treatment does not waiver because three common types of treatment are used. In some cases, various treatments are chosen to enhance their efficacy or prevent cancers from recurring.
Surgery
The American Cancer Society explains that surgery is the oldest form of cancer treatment and has a number of purposes. It can determine the severity of the cancer, prevent cancer from spreading or be the sole treatment. A variety of surgeries exist for these reasons.
Preventive surgery removes tissue that a doctor feels is likely to become cancerous, even though no cancer is present at the time. Examples include the removal of precancerous polyps to prevent colon cancer, breast removal in women who have a high risk of developing breast cancer and complete organ removal for people with inherited conditions that may result in cancer.
A biopsy, or diagnostic surgery, is a procedure that allows a doctor to determine if a patient has cancer and what type it is. Samples of cells are taken and examined under a microscope.
Curative surgery removes the tumor when it is in one specific area and has not spread, while debulking removes some of the tumor. The rest is treated with chemotherapy, radiation or both.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses various drugs to treat cancer cells spreading throughout the body. Because these drugs travel through the bloodstream, it is also known as systemic therapy. It can be given prior to surgery to shrink tumors and increase removal success or after surgery to destroy remaining cells and help prevent cancer recurrence. In some cases it is used alone or in combination with other therapies, such as radiation. The drawback to chemotherapy is its destruction of healthy cells, resulting in unpleasant side effects, such as nausea, fatigue, vomiting and hair loss.
Radiation Therapy
Radiotherapy uses high-beam energy to penetrate tissues. The high doses either prevent cancer cells from growing or destroy them completely by disrupting the manner in which they grow and divide, explains the Ottowa Hospital Foundation. Two types of radiation are available for cancer patients depending on their needs--external and internal.
External radiation delivers treatment from a machine outside of the body that is directed specifically at the site of the cancer. Treatment time varies, but the average is five days a week over a period of several weeks. The most common side effect is a rash similar to that of a sunburn at the treatment site.
Internal radiation--also known as brachytherapy--involves the implantation of radioactive seeds, metal wires or tubes inside the body, as close to the tumor as possible. These sources may be left in the body for a few minutes or several weeks. Radioactive liquids are another option, according to CancerHelp UK. Given as either a drink or an injection, this type of brachytherapy is used for patients with thyroid cancer, blood cancers or blood disorders, among other conditions.
