According to a recent report from a famous medical journal in USA, more than 1 million people die due to cancer every year around the world. That said, Cancer is a broad term that encompasses many different diseases and it occurs when the body’s cells begin to divide without stopping and spread into surrounding tissues.
In the following parts of this blog, we will talk about the various types of cancers along with the potential treatment options.
Major Cancer types across the globe !
Carcinomas: These are the most common types of cancer. Moreover, carcinomas originate from cells that make up the skin or the tissues lining organs. Besides, types of carcinomas include breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer.
Sarcomas: Sarcomas are rare and develop in the bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other connective or supportive tissues.
Leukemias: These types of cancer start in the bone marrow and often accumulate in the bloodstream. They do not form solid tumors. That said, there are four common types of leukemia: acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and chronic myeloid leukemia.
Lymphomas: Lymphomas begin in the lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. Moreover, there are two main types: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Also, lymphomas affect the lymphatic system, which is part of the body’s immune system.
Central Nervous System Cancers: These cancers begin in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord. Examples include gliomas, meningiomas, pituitary adenomas, vestibular schwannomas, primary CNS lymphomas, and primitive neuroectodermal tumors.
Melanoma: This type of cancer starts in cells in the skin called melanocytes, which are the cells that give skin its natural color.
Multiple Myeloma: This cancer type starts in plasma cells, a type of immune cell. Furthermore, it’s considered to be a type of blood cancer.
Myelodysplastic Syndromes: These are a group of disorders caused by poorly formed blood cells or cells that don’t work properly.
Each cancer type is unique with its own set of symptoms, risk factors, and treatment options. However, all types of cancer share the common characteristic of uncontrolled cell growth. Besides, advances in medical science have led to improved outcomes for many types of cancer, but it remains a significant cause of death worldwide. Moreover, early detection and treatment can significantly improve survival rates for many cancers.
What potential cancer treatment options are available across the globe?
The type and stage of the cancer, potential side effects, the patient’s general health, and personal preferences all affect how the disease is treated. That said, here are some of the top cancer therapies being used today in different parts of the world:
Surgery
The ‘resection’ procedure aims to remove the cancerous tumour along with some surrounding healthy tissue. Besides, surgery may be used for diagnostic, curative, or palliative purposes depending on the type and stage of the cancer. Also, whether the tumour can be completely removed and is localised often determines whether surgery will be successful.
Radiation Therapy
High doses of radiation are used in radiation therapy to kill cancer type cells and reduce tumour size. Moreover, it can be administered internally, where radiation is positioned inside your body close to the cancer, or externally, using a device that directs radiation at your cancer. Besides, it is frequently used in conjunction with other therapies, either before surgery (to reduce tumour size) or after (to eradicate any leftover cells).
Chemotherapy
Drugs are used in chemotherapy to kill rapidly dividing cells. It can be either systemic (affecting cells all over the body) or regional (concentrating in a single region). It is employed to reduce tumour size, treat symptoms, and eradicate microscopic disease. Each patient’s unique cancer type and stage inform the drug combination, frequency, and length of treatment.
Immunotherapy
This cutting-edge method of treatment employs the immune system to combat cancer. Also, it consists of medical interventions such as cancer vaccines, CAR-T cell therapy, and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Furthermore, the intention is to activate or assist the immune system in identifying and combating cancer cells.
Targeted Therapies
These medications attack particular traits of cancer cells, such as a protein that enables the growth of cancer cells quickly or abnormally. Also, targeted therapies typically have a lower risk of damaging healthy, normal cells than chemotherapy does. Moreover, certain proteins, enzymes, or other molecules involved in the growth and spread of cancer cells are blocked by some targeted therapies.
Hormone therapy
Some cancers need specific hormones to develop and spread. Moreover, in order to stop certain cancers from spreading, hormone therapy removes or blocks the hormones that can fuel them. For prostate and breast cancer, this type of therapy is frequently used.
Stem Cell Transplant
When cancer patients undergo a stem cell transplant (also known as a bone marrow transplant), their blood-forming stem cells that had been destroyed by extremely high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy are replaced.
Precision medicine
Precision medicine, also known as personalized medicine, uses genetic testing to identify the most effective treatments for the particular cancer condition of a patient. Also, the abnormalities in each patient’s cancer cells can, according to scientists, be targeted with particular therapies by identifying them.
Clinical trials
Clinical trials are studies that test both novel treatments and innovative applications of currently available therapies. Also, this could involve brand-new drug formulations, cutting-edge surgical or radiation treatment methods, or cutting-edge strategies like gene therapy.
Huge strides in cancer treatment have been made in recent years, which have helped to steadily raise survival rates. The best course of action, however, is dependent on a number of variables, including the patient’s age and general health as well as the type, location, and stage of the disease. Still, it is important to note that the overall strategy for patient care includes managing the side effects of cancer treatment.
Bottom Line
The best approach to cancer treatment frequently entails a team of healthcare professionals working together, regardless of the nation or particular treatment plan. Besides, surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, nutritionists, social workers, and palliative care specialists are just a few examples of the specialists who can help the patient get well and recover.
That said, cancer treatment is still evolving, and future research and clinical trials promise to produce even more potent methods. Moreover, treatments can be tailored to the specific patient, increasing effectiveness and lowering side effects, as our knowledge of cancer biology advances. So, every time someone is given a cancer diagnosis, they should talk to their doctor about their treatment options.
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