The year 2020 saw an estimated 1,806,590 new cases of cancer in the United States, some of the most common types being breast cancer, lung and bronchus cancer, prostate cancer, colon and rectum cancer, melanoma of the skin, leukemia, and others.
While this disease is still extremely fatal and scary, the kind of cancer treatments available to patients is constantly evolving for the better. New scientific discoveries and breakthroughs are changing the quality and course of care at rapid speed.
Doctors now depend on unique treatment combinations to tackle each patient’s illness at every stage in a more rounded way. These treatment options include innovative approaches, including high-tech diagnostic tools, minimally invasive surgery, targeted radiation therapies, and treatments identified through the tools of precision medicine.
Here are some of the different types of cancer treatments:
Our treatment disciplines generally fall into these categories:
Chemotherapy
This has been one of the most common treatment options for almost all kinds of cancer. These anti-cancer drugs involved in chemotherapy work by targeting the rapidly-growing cancer cells either in specific areas of the body or throughout it.
Interventional Oncology
Interventional oncology is a newer and rapidly growing field in cancer care where healthcare experts use targeted and minimally invasive procedures with image guidance, to diagnose, treat and/or relieve cancer symptoms.
Hematologic Oncology
Hematologic Oncology is usually used to diagnose and treat blood cancers and blood-related disorders. Hematologic Oncology programs include a range of medical therapies for patients suffering from leukemia, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma.
Surgery
This type of treatment is used to target and remove cancer cells present in certain areas of the body. A patient’s candidature for cancer surgery depends on the type of cancer, the size of cells, the location, stage of the illness as well as their age, fitness, and if they are suffering from other medical conditions.
Radiation Therapy
This technique of treatment involves targeting X-rays, radioactive substances to shrink tumors to a size where doctors can perform surgery, destroy cancer cells, and/or alleviate certain cancer-related symptoms. It can be used:
To stop the growth of cells so other treatments can work better.
Before a combination treatment to shrink the tumor.
After treatment to stop the growth of cells.
