Global Courant
It becomes easier for us to deal with diseases that are easily diagnosed. This is done with the help of identifying the symptoms, which makes it quite easy to plan the treatment option and plan the way forward. But when it comes to complex circumstances, it can be very tricky. One such disease in this category is cancer. It may be just a single word, but the outcome of this disease is very ghastly. The branch of medicine that deals with cancer treatment is known as oncology. Hospitals in India are known for their oncology treatments.
Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. These three steps are performed in an orderly manner to ensure that the patient gets rid of the disease quickly. Cancer is more than one disease put together. With cancer, there is an abnormal growth of cells that can spread to different parts of the body. Every single cell in the body has a regulated system that controls the growth, maturity and death of the cells. While the type of cancer may differ, they all start when the growth gets out of control.
There are more than 100 different types of cancer known to humans and there are millions of people living with cancer or who have had cancer before. There are several roles an oncologist has to play in helping the patient. The role includes –
1. When a patient comes in, it is the doctor’s duty to explain the diagnosis and the phase the patient is currently in.
2. Discuss treatment options and ask for patient preferences.
3. Delivering quality and compassionate care parallel to no other.
4. Management of the symptoms and side effects that may occur as a result of ongoing treatment.
Cancer programs in India include three different types of oncology treatments. These are medical oncology, surgical oncology and radiation oncology. When it comes to medical oncology, there are several treatment options that a medical oncologist specializes in. These options include chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Chemotherapy is the most common, but others are also used in some cases.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a form of cancer treatment in which one or more drugs are administered to disrupt the cancer cell’s ability to divide and reproduce. This treatment may use one or a combination of drugs. Cancer cells divide faster than normal cells and chemotherapy destroys them faster.
Chemotherapy is used in different ways depending on the patient’s condition. It may be given before surgery or radiation therapy to shrink the tumor. It can also be given after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells. It is the only available treatment for cancers like blood cancer, leukemia etc.
Targeted therapy
This is a type of cancer treatment that uses drugs but differs from chemotherapy because they target specific genes and proteins. The targeted genes are found in cancer cells or in cells associated with cancer growth. Gene changes occur in certain types of cancer. And the drugs that are being developed target these changes. These drugs can block or turn off signals that tell cancer cells to grow or divide. They also fend off the cells and prevent them from living longer than normal.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a form of cancer treatment that enhances the ability of the body’s natural defenses to thwart the cancer cells. It uses substances made by the body or in a lab to improve and restore immune system function. There are different types of immunotherapy such as monoclonal antibodies, non-specific immunotherapies, oncolytic virus therapy, etc.
Cancer diagnosis and treatment for a better life
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