Read to know more about Oncology Treatment and how it can benefit you
Oncology is a branch of science that researches and treats cancer. Oncology Treatment uses surgery, therapies, radiation, and medications to cure the spread of cancer. Any physician that specializes in the field of oncology is known as oncologists.
What are the stages of oncology treatment?
Primary Treatment: This treatment aims to kill or eradicate all the cancer growing cells. Any treatment can be called primary treatment, but the most common primary treatment is surgery.
Adjuvant treatment: This treatment is undertaken to treat any cancer cells that may persist even after the primary treatment. This treatment also helps to reduce the recurrence of cancer in the future.
Neo-adjuvant therapy is alike Adjuvant treatment, but in many cases, it is done to make the primary treatment effective and easy.
Palliative treatment: This Oncology Treatment is undertaken to cure any side effects and symptoms caused by cancer. Radiation, surgery, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy can also be used as a Palliative treatment.
This treatment can also be undertaken simultaneously with other cancer treatments.
Want to know more about oncology? Keep on reading...
Types of oncology treatment
Chemotherapy: In this oncology treatment, the cancer cells are destroyed using drugs. It works in a pattern of slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells.
Chemotherapy is further divided into adjuvant chemotherapy and Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. The former is used after chemotherapy to check the recurrence of cancer, and the latter is used before undertaking chemotherapy.
Immunotherapy: This is an innovative cancer treatment. It works by strengthening the immune system to fight against cancer cells. This treatment uses the patient’s body cells to restore the immune system.
The immune system of a patient’s body is enhanced in three ways- Dendritic cell therapy, Drug therapy, and Cancer Vaccines. Dendritic cell therapy uses T-cells to treat cancer. Drug therapy uses antibiotics to destroy cancer cells. Cancer vaccines are inherited to boost the immune system and give the power to identify and treat cancer.
Hormone Therapy: Some types of cancer like Prostate Cancer, Breast cancer, Uterine Cancer grows because of hormonal imbalances. This therapy works by blocking the hormones from growing and spreading cancer cells.
Targeted Therapy: This therapy is different from traditional chemotherapy and uses drugs to treat cancer. This therapy works by targeting genes and proteins that are found in the cancer of the patient’s body.
What are the risk factors of cancer?
- Tobacco: This is the primary reason for the lung, mouth, throat, larynx, stomach, oesophagus, cancer.
- Alcohol: Alcohol abuse is also a major reason for the throat, mouth, larynx, oesophagus, liver, and breast cancer. The usage of alcohol and tobacco increases the risk of cancer.
- Obesity: This is another reason for the increased ray of breast, rectum, colon, kidney, gallbladder cancer.
- Age: Advanced age increases the risk of cancer. According to reports, 66 is the average age of cancer diagnosis.
- Infectious agents: Infectious agents like bacteria, oncovirus, parasites, causes cancer.
- Cancer-causing substances: The damage of DNA, environmental exposure, ultraviolet rays, or any changes in genes also increase the chances of cancer.
- Immunosuppression: Cancer spreads in the body because the immune system cannot identify and defend it. This occurs to most people suffering from immunosuppression.
Tips to save yourself from cancer
- Quit Smoking Tobacco
- Lead a healthy and active life.
- Get vaccinated
- Avoid risky behaviours
- Get a regular medical checkup.
Final Words:
Medical oncology is the best way to treat cancer. Remember it’s never too late!
