Cancer Treatments - Cancer

Cancer Treatments

Once a person is diagnosed with cancer, there are three conventional treatments: surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Recommended treatments vary with the type of cancer, whether the cancer is localized or has begun to spread, and the general health of the patient. All three conventional treatments are invasive and have potentially severe side effects. While none of the treatments constitute a “cure” for cancer, they do prevent the cancer from spreading with varying success rates. Anyone diagnosed as having cancer should insist on a full discussion and understanding of their problem, and ask their doctor to fully evaluate the risks and benefits of any recommended therapy.

Surgery.     Surgery, the most common treatment for cancer, involves removing cancerous cells from the body. For cancers that develop in areas close to the surface of the body, surgery is normally recommended first. Sometimes healthy cells must also be removed from the area surrounding the tumor in order to prevent the cancerous cells from spreading.

Radiation Therapy.     During radiation therapy (also called x-ray therapy, radiotherapy, cobalt treatment, or irradiation), high-energy rays are used to damage cancer cells so that they are unable to grow and multiply. Like surgery, radiation therapy is localized and affects only the cells in the treated area. For some cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma, the whole body may be radiated. Radiation therapy may be used before surgery to shrink the tumor, or after surgery to destroy any cancer cells that remain in the area.

The two most common types of radiation therapy are external radiation therapy and radiation implants. In external radiation therapy, a machine directs high-energy rays at the cancer cells. Patients usually receive these treatments five days a week for several weeks as outpatients. Most patients receive either x ray or cobalt gamma ray radiation, both of which gradually lose their energy as they pass through the body, damaging not only the tumorous cells but also the nearby healthy cells. However, radiation treatment is not always effective, as several forms of cancer, including gland and prostate cancer, have proven resistant to x ray therapy.

Radiation implant treatment involves placing a small container of radioactive material in the affected body cavity or directly into a cancer cell. By using radiation implants, doctors are able to give patients higher doses of radiation than are possible with external therapy, all the while sparing most of the healthy tissue around the tumor. Dr. Gerald DeNardo of the University of California, Davis, has treated 58 B-cell lymphoma patients with radiation implants. About two-thirds of the patients, according to an article by J. Bishop in the October 21, 1993 edition of The Wall Street Journal , responded to the treatments, and half of these are in complete remission.

Radiation therapy has strong side effects, including fatigue and skin reactions (such as rashes or red blotches) in the area being treated. It may also decrease the number of white blood cells, which help to protect the body against infection. The type and degree of side effects partially depend on the area of the body being treated.

Chemotherapy.     Treatment with anticancer drugs, called chemotherapy, destroys cancer cells by disrupting their ability to multiply. Many different drugs are used to treat cancer and are given to patients either orally or by injection into a muscle, vein, or artery. Some drugs are given in cycles, followed by a rest period. Whether taken orally or by injection, chemotherapy drugs enter the bloodstream and are carried throughout the body; hence the name systemic. Depending on the drugs prescribed, most patients undergo chemotherapy as outpatients at a hospital. Sometimes it is necessary to stay in the hospital so that any side effects can be monitored.

While chemotherapy kills primarily cancerous cells, it also affects other rapidly growing cells, including hair cells and cells that line the digestive tract. As a result, patients often experience hair loss, nausea, and vomiting. Most anticancer drugs also affect bone marrow, decreasing its ability to produce blood cells. As a result, some chemotherapy patients have weaker immune systems and are at a higher risk of infection. The side effects of chemotherapy vary depending on the drugs being given, the dosage, and the patient's age and general health. Patients should discuss fully all the advantages and disadvantages with their physician before undergoing treatment.