By: Zoey Salaj
Cancer, a complex and varied disease, has prompted the development of a wide range of treatments designed to target different types and stages. The choice of treatment depends on factors like the type of cancer, its location, and how developed the cancer is. Here is an overview of the main cancer treatments today.
To begin, surgery. Surgery has been recorded to be used to treat cancer since the 1600’s. It is the most common and oldest treatment of cancer. It involves physically removing the tumor, and in some cases, the surrounding tissue or lymph nodes. Surgery is often used when the cancer is localized and hasn’t spread to other parts of the body. It can be curative, especially when the cancer is detected early, but it may be combined with other treatments to ensure all cancer cells are eliminated.
Radiation therapy uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells or shrink tumors. It works by damaging the DNA inside cancer cells, preventing them from growing and dividing. Cancer is uncontrolled cell growth and division, a mutation caused during mitosis. Radiation can be delivered externally, external beam radiation, or internally, brachytherapy. The success rate of radiation depends on the type of cancer and how it has spread to the body.
Chemotherapy involves the use of drugs to kill rapidly dividing cells, including cancer cells. These drugs are usually administered intravenously or orally and travel through the bloodstream, making chemotherapy a systemic treatment. While effective at attacking cancer, chemotherapy always has a chance of affecting healthy cells, leading to common side effects of nausea, hair loss, and fatigue. It is a particularly useful treatment for cancers that have spread to other parts of the body.
Targeted therapy is a more recent development in cancer treatment. Unlike chemotherapy, which affects all rapidly dividing cells, targeted therapy drugs are designed to attack specific molecules involved in cancer cell growth and survival. This makes the treatment more precise and often less damaging to healthy cells. Targeted therapies are especially effective against cancer with specific genetic mutations or abnormalities.
Immunotherapy harnesses the body’s immune system to fight cancer. It works by stimulating the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells more effectively. There are various types of immunotherapy, including checkpoint inhibitors, which helps the immune system identify cancer cells, and CAR-T-cell therapy, which involves modifying a patient's T-cells to better target cancer. Immunotherapy has shown relative success in treating certain types of cancer, like melanoma and lung cancer, although it doesn’t work for everyone.
Stem cell transplants, also known as bone marrow transplants, are often used to treat blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. This treatment involves replacing damaged or destroyed bone marrow with healthy stem cells, which can then develop into healthy blood cells. Stem cell transplants can be autologous, meaning they use the patient's own cells, or, allogenic, using donor cells. This treatment is usually used in conjunction with high doses of chemotherapy or radiation.
Cancer treatments are rapidly evolving, offering patients a range of options tailored to the specifics of their disease. While some treatments, like surgery and chemotherapy, have been staples for decades, newer therapies like targeted therapy and immunotherapy are paving the way for more personalized and effective cancer care.
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