Cancer Treatments

Cancer is a general term used for various diseases in which abnormal cells divide rapidly and without control. More than 100 different types of cancer exist, the main types being lung cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer and melanoma.

Detecting cancer at an early stage is crucial in order to increase odds for successful cancer treatment. The cancer stage is generally determined by how far the disease has spread, on the size of the tumor, whether other organs are infected and the number of lymph nodes it has reached. If the cancer spreads to another area of the body (from its original site) it has become a metastatic cancer and will naturally be harder to treat.

Cancerous Tumor - Video

Cancer Symptoms

Many cancer symptoms may be explained by harmless health conditions or noncancerous tumors (a cyst); they do not necessarily point to the presence of the disease.

The following symptoms may be related to cancer and should be discussed with your doctor:

• A persistent cough or coughing blood
• A lump in either the breast or the testicles
• Blood in the stool or a change in bladder or bowel habits
• Change in a mole or a wart
• Indigestion or difficulty swallowing
• Unusual vaginal bleeding or discharge
• Unexpected weight loss

Some types of cancer are very hard to detect as there are no specific symptoms attributed to them (such as liver cancer or pancreatic cancer).

Cancer Treatment

Cancer treatment varies depending on the cancer type, the tumor's location in the body, the size of the growth and the cancer stage. Treatments for cancer include cancer surgery (surgical oncology), chemotherapy, radiation therapy (radiotherapy), biological therapies, bone marrow transplants, hormone therapy, gene therapy Gene therapy is the insertion of genes into an individual's cell and biological tissues to treat diseases. (Source: Wikipedia), clinical trials and more.

Cancer treatment can be administered in order to cure the cancer or to control it and relieve the symptoms. A cancer treatment scheme can include a combination of different treatments.

Cancer treatments of metastatic tumors depend on the cancers' original site. If for example breast cancer spreads to other areas, it is still treated as breast cancer. Only when the metastases are detected, but the primary tumor was not identified, will the treatment be dictated by the metastases location.

Cancer Surgery

As cancer surgery is the primary option for treatment, there are various types of surgical procedures that are meant to treat the various types of cancerous tumors. When possible, the oncology surgeon will firstly opt to remove the whole tumor at once, pending that the cancer hasn't spread. If the infected organ isn't a vital one (a kidney or the uterus for example) then a complete removal of that organ will be possible and often recommended by the oncologist. Partial removal of organs with the cancerous cells is also a possibility.

Success chances of cancer surgery depend on the stage, size and location of the growth. It must be stated that the surgery will often be accompanied by additional treatments that may include chemotherapy and radiation.

Cancer Treatment Abroad

As cancer is today a common disease, cancer treatment centers were established to provide therapy and to perform research regarding the disease. One has many options to undergo cancer surgery or other forms of treatment and can choose to undergo cancer treatment abroad. If you would also like to pursue this possibility, please do not hesitate to contact us, as your health is our concern.