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Comprehensive Guide to Cancer Treatments

There are many different methods to treat cancer as there is not just one form of cancer. Surgery offers the biggest chance of a cure if the cancer hasn't spread, and it can also help reduce tumor size or effects. Chemotherapy uses cytotoxic drugs to destroy cancer cells, and radiotherapy uses radiation to kill cancer cells. Hormone therapy treats hormone-sensitive cancers with hormones or hormone blockers. Combining treatments can be more effective than a single treatment, with biological therapies also used to relieve pain and stress.

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10 views9 pages

Comprehensive Guide to Cancer Treatments

There are many different methods to treat cancer as there is not just one form of cancer. Surgery offers the biggest chance of a cure if the cancer hasn't spread, and it can also help reduce tumor size or effects. Chemotherapy uses cytotoxic drugs to destroy cancer cells, and radiotherapy uses radiation to kill cancer cells. Hormone therapy treats hormone-sensitive cancers with hormones or hormone blockers. Combining treatments can be more effective than a single treatment, with biological therapies also used to relieve pain and stress.

Uploaded by

indie377
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Cancer Treatments

By Hollie Lewis
Introduction
Cancer develops when cells in a part of the body begin to grow out of control. [1]

As there are many differing forms of cancer, it is unlikely that there will ever be a
single cure.

Cancer accounted for 13% of all deaths in 2007. [9]

Cancer can be treated by various methods including surgery, chemotherapy,


radiotherapy, hormone therapy and biological therapies.

The ultimate goal of the treatment is to completely remove the cancer without
damaging the rest of the body.

Hollie Lewis
Surgery
Surgery offers the biggest chance of a cure but only if the cancer has not
metastasised to other parts of the body.

If the cancer cannot be completely removed, surgery can sometimes still help
by removing a tumour to reduce its effects, or from causing other complications.
[2] [3]

Surgery can also be used to stage how far along the cancer is.

Sometimes surgery may be performed as a preventative treatment against


cancer.

Hollie Lewis
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with drugs that can destroy cancer
cells e.g. cytotoxic drugs.[4]

Chemotherapy can harm normal cells.

But these cells are usually able to repair themselves after the chemotherapy
treatment has finished.

Chemotherapy may also be given after surgery or radiotherapy to destroy any


cancer cells that remain.

Hollie Lewis
Radiotherapy
40% of people with cancer undergo radiotherapy as part of their treatment.

Radiotherapy is the use of ionising radiation e.g. X-rays, to kill cancer cells and
shrink tumour cells. [5]

This can be given either as external radiotherapy or from within the body as
internal radiotherapy.

Normal cells are damaged by the radiation treatment.

Hollie Lewis
Hormone Therapy
Hormone treatments use the sex hormones produced by our bodies, or drugs
that block them, to treat cancer. [6]

Doctors might recommend hormone therapy for individuals with cancers that
are ‘hormone sensitive’ or ‘hormone dependent’.

This is common for certain types of breast and prostate cancers.

Example: Tamoxifen for breast cancer.

Hollie Lewis
Other Available Therapies
Angiogenesis inhibitors: Are biological therapies that stop tumours
from growing their own blood vessels. [7]

Immunotherapy: is the use of the immune system to attack the


cancerous cells. Uses monoclonal antibodies, designed specifically to
target cancer cells.

Complementary Therapy: Therapies such as homeopathy, vitamin


supplements and special diets have been suggested for the treatment of
cancer. There is no evidence that these alternative therapies are
effective against cancer. [8]

Hollie Lewis
Summary
As there is not just one form of cancer, there are many different methods to
treat it. These methods are effective for different types of cancer.

Surgery offers the biggest chance of a cure, only if the cancer hasn’t
metastasised to other parts of the body.

Combinations of treatments can be more successful than only one treatment.


E.g. radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Biological therapies are available to be used along side conventional treatment


methods to help relive pain and stress.

Although there are many risks associated with cancer treatments, if the treatment
is successful it will help improve the patients day to day life.

Hollie Lewis
References
[1] [Link]
[2] [Link]
[3] [Link]
[Link]
[4] [Link]
[5] [Link]
[6] [Link]
Generalinformation
[7] [Link]
[8] [Link]
Generalinformation/Aboutcomplementarytherapies#3165
[9] [Link]

Hollie Lewis

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