Cancer is caused by the unregulated abnormal growth of cells, which may spread---or metastasize---throughout the body. If you are diagnosed with cancer, you may have a number of treatment options available. Though alternative cancer treatments are available, the main cancer treatments are chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy---also called chemo---is a main type of cancer treatment that utilizes drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapeutic drugs act throughout the body by targeting cancer cells, which grow and multiply rapidly. By slowing or stopping the growth of cancerous cells, chemo may cure your cancer depending upon the type and extent of your condition. Chemo may be used alone in the treatment of cancer, but may also be used in conjunction with radiation therapy, surgery or biological therapy, according to the National Cancer Institute. Chemotherapeutic treatment side effects in most patients. Side effects may include hair loss, nausea, fatigue, pain, or skin and nail changes, which typically resolve once treatment is completed.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is a form of cancer treatment that utilizes particles or waves, such as x-rays, that emit a high level of energy. This energy, which can be applied externally or internally, is used to kill or damage cancer cells, preventing them from growing or spreading throughout the body. Radiation can target to a specific region of the body, depending upon where your cancer is located. This enables radiation therapy to cause as much damage to cancer cells as possible while limiting the exposure of healthy cells to radiation, according to the American Cancer Society. Common side effects of radiation therapy fatigue and skin changes, such as dryness and itching, and typically subside once treatment has completed.
Surgery
Surgery is a form of cancer treatment that involves the removal of cancer cells or tumors by cutting them from the body. In certain cases, preventive surgery may be performed to remove cells or tissue that your doctor believes may become cancerous. Diagnostic surgery, according to the American Cancer Society, removes a tissue sample that your doctor can analyze to determine if you have cancer or what kind it is. Staging surgery allows your doctor to determine how much cancer is present in your body and the extent to which it has spread. Curative surgery is utilized to remove a cancerous tumor that is located in one specific region of the body. Debulking surgery allows your doctor to remove a portion or the tumor and is typically performed if removal of the entire tumor would cause your body too much damage.
