Choosing the Right Cancer Treatment
When you hear the word cancer, you probably picture chemotherapy drugs or surgery. But those aren’t the only options, and sometimes they take a back seat to other treatments that may have milder side effects. Choosing the right cancer treatment depends on your type of cancer and how far it has spread.
Cancer is a disease in which your cells grow and divide without control or order. These abnormal cells can form a mass of tissue, called a tumor. They can also spread to other parts of the body through the blood or lymph system. Cancer can cause serious health problems and even death.
There are many different types of cancer, but they all start the same way: mutations in your genes that control how your cells grow and divide. These mutations can be caused by things such as smoking or prolonged exposure to asbestos fibers, but they can also happen spontaneously.
When a mutation occurs, the cell starts growing faster than normal and may no longer follow the normal rules that govern cell division. The cell also stops responding to signals that tell it to stop growing or to die (a process known as programmed cell death, or apoptosis). The mutated cells can then begin to crowd out normal cells and may form lumps of tissue, or tumors.
Cancer cells can also break apart and travel to distant places in the body, where they can grow more tumors or spread to other tissues and organs. This is how cancer can cause different symptoms, including pain, fatigue, weight loss, fever, and bleeding or blood in your stool or urine.
Most people with cancer find that their cancers respond well to treatment, and many notice a reduction in their signs or symptoms. When this happens, your healthcare team may call it remission. But even if your cancer doesn’t go away completely, treatment can slow its growth, ease your symptoms, help you live longer, and improve your quality of life.
There are several different ways to treat cancer, depending on the type of cancer and how far it has spread. These treatments include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgeries. Chemotherapy is a combination of drugs that kill cancer cells or make them less likely to grow. Radiation therapy involves exposing the cancerous tissue to powerful energy beams from outside the body, such as high-energy X-rays or protons. Surgery is used to remove a tumor or part of a tumor and can be combined with other treatments, such as chemotherapy or a bone marrow transplant.
Researchers are still learning about what causes cancer. Scientists have found that certain genetic mutations can increase your risk of developing cancer, and some types of cancer seem to run in families. But most of the time, scientists don’t know what causes cancer and what doesn’t. They do know that some substances can cause DNA mutations and lead to cancer, and they are working hard to learn more about how cancers develop.
When you hear the word cancer, you probably picture chemotherapy drugs or surgery. But those aren’t the only options, and sometimes they take a back seat to other treatments that may have milder side effects. Choosing the right cancer treatment depends on your type of cancer and how far it has spread. Cancer is a disease in which your cells grow and divide without control or order. These abnormal cells can form a mass of tissue, called a tumor. They can also spread to other parts of the body through the blood or lymph system. Cancer can cause serious health problems and even death. There are many different types of cancer, but they all start the same way: mutations in your genes that control how your cells grow and divide. These mutations can be caused by things such as smoking or prolonged exposure to asbestos fibers, but they can also happen spontaneously. When a mutation occurs, the cell starts growing faster than normal and may no longer follow the normal rules that govern cell division. The cell also stops responding to signals that tell it to stop growing or to die (a process known as programmed cell death, or apoptosis). The mutated cells can then begin to crowd out normal cells and may form lumps of tissue, or tumors. Cancer cells can also break apart and travel to distant places in the body, where they can grow more tumors or spread to other tissues and organs. This is how cancer can cause different symptoms, including pain, fatigue, weight loss, fever, and bleeding or blood in your stool or urine. Most people with cancer find that their cancers respond well to treatment, and many notice a reduction in their signs or symptoms. When this happens, your healthcare team may call it remission. But even if your cancer doesn’t go away completely, treatment can slow its growth, ease your symptoms, help you live longer, and improve your quality of life. There are several different ways to treat cancer, depending on the type of cancer and how far it has spread. These treatments include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgeries. Chemotherapy is a combination of drugs that kill cancer cells or make them less likely to grow. Radiation therapy involves exposing the cancerous tissue to powerful energy beams from outside the body, such as high-energy X-rays or protons. Surgery is used to remove a tumor or part of a tumor and can be combined with other treatments, such as chemotherapy or a bone marrow transplant. Researchers are still learning about what causes cancer. Scientists have found that certain genetic mutations can increase your risk of developing cancer, and some types of cancer seem to run in families. But most of the time, scientists don’t know what causes cancer and what doesn’t. They do know that some substances can cause DNA mutations and lead to cancer, and they are working hard to learn more about how cancers develop.