CHEMOTHERAPY
Chemotherapy is a procedure administering an intravenous or an oral form of medication with the aim to destroy and control the multiplication of cancer cells. Newer drugs called Targeted Drugs/ Therapy, damage cancer cells by blocking the genes or proteins present in the cancer cells. These targeted treatment attack specifically on the cancer cells.
Medical Oncologists use chemotherapy in different ways with different goals. These include:
- using chemotherapy before the surgery or radiation therapy in order to shrink the tumor
- using chemotherapy after surgery or radiation therapy to kill the remaining cancer cells which cannot be seen by naked eye
- using chemotherapy as the primary treatment (e.g. to treat cancers of the lymphatic system such as lymphoma)
- using chemotherapy when the tumor comes back
- using chemotherapy when cancer spread to the other parts of the body (metastatic cancer) and control the symptoms which comes from the tumor complications.
To know more about chemotherapy, have a healthy discussion with your Medical Oncologist.
IMMUNOTHERAPY
Immunotherapy is a type of treatment that can boost the body’s natural defense mechanism to combat cancer. Immunotherapy may work by:
- stopping or slowing the growth of the tumor cells
- stopping the cancer cells from spreading to the different areas of the body
- helping the immune system work better at destroying cancer cells
To know more about immunotherapy and cancer vaccines, have a healthy discussion with your medical oncologist.
SURGERY
Surgery is a procedure aiming to remove the tumor and nearby tissue during an operation. A doctors that treats cancer with surgery is called a surgical oncologist (for cancer of the ovary, fallopian tubes, uterus and cervix, the surgeon is called gynecologic oncologist).
Surgery is done with the goal to:
- remove the whole or part of the tumor or its extension in order to diagnose the disease
- remove the all or some of the tumor
- locate where the cancer is
- identify wehre the cancer has spread or is affecting the function of the other distant organs
- to restore the body’s appearance or function
- to give symptomatic relief to an area complicated cancer.
To know more about surgery, ask your doctor for a Multidisciplinary Team management.
RADIATION
Radiation therapy is a procedure that utilizes high-energy x-rays or other particles to destroy cancer cells or slow tumor growth in a specific area without harming nearby healthy tissue. The doctor who specializes in giving radiation therapy to treat cancer is called a radiation oncologist.
Talk to your doctor about Multidisciplinary Team approach to learn if radiation therapy is the first cancer treatment or if will be done after surgery or chemotherapy. Radiation therapy can also be an option to relieve symptoms caused by the tumor.
To know more about these treatment options, ask your medical oncologist/ cancer specialist.
Multidicisciplinary team management provides cost-effective management.