Monday 17 June 2013

Options to consider for cancer treatment

Cancer treatments may combine two or more therapies. The most common form of cancer treatment options are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.

Surgery

Doctors may prescribe surgery to completely remove the cancer, especially if the tumor is too big. Surgery basically is advised to remove as much of the tumor as possible so that chemotherapy or radiation therapy can be done more effectively. There are some of the world’s Best cancer treatment centers in Texas, U.S. for surgery and the treatment of cancer.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. It may be used alone or in combination with other treatments, such as radiation therapy and surgery, depending on the extent of disease and tumor type. Unlike surgery, chemotherapy is a long-term process with numerous courses of therapy given over time. Chemotherapy can lead to weakness and may have many other side effects.

Radiation treatment

Radiation therapy can be given individually or after or before surgery and chemotherapy. Radiation therapy does not require hospitalization for patients. However, it can require periodical, sometimes daily, visits to the radiation department for a number of weeks. Radiation therapy can be given externally, which means it is delivered with the help of a machine outside of the body. Therapy can also be internal, wherein small “seeds” containing radioactivity are administered near the tumor.

Depending on which stage the cancer has reached, doctors will prescribe the best cancer treatment for each patient.