Cancer Part #2

HOW TO PREVENT CANCER?

There are several ways to prevent cancer. They includes:

• Stop smoking
• Keep a healthy body weight
• Eating a healthy, balanced diet
• Drink clear, pure water
• Limit the use of alcohol
• Don’t use tobacco
• Always be physically active
• Avoid certain infection
• Protect your skin from the sun
• Get regular medical care

 

HOW IS CANCER TREATED?

Cancer is treated with surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy or biological therapy. Patients with cancer are often treated by a team of specialists, which may include a medical oncologist (specialist in cancer treatment), a surgeon, a radiation oncologist (specialist in radiation therapy), and others. The doctors may decide to use one treatment method or a combination of methods. The choice of treatment depends on the type and location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, the patient's age and general health, and other factors. Cancer treatment depends on the type of cancer, the stage of the cancer (how much it has spread), age, health status, and additional personal characteristics. There is no single treatment for cancer, and patients often receive a combination of therapies and palliative care.

Two ways to treat Cancer are by:

SURGERY

Surgery is the oldest known treatment for cancer. If a cancer has not metastasized, it is possible to completely cure a patient by surgically removing the cancer from the body. This is often seen in the removal of the prostate or a breast or testicle. After the disease has spread, however, it is nearly impossible to remove all of the cancer cells. Surgery may also be instrumental in helping to control symptoms such as bowel obstruction or spinal cord compression.

RADIATION THERAPY

Radiation treatment, also known as radiotherapy, destroys cancer by focusing high-energy rays on the cancer cells. This causes damage to the molecules that make up the cancer cells and leads them to commit suicide. Radiotherapy utilizes high-energy gamma-rays that are emitted from metals such as radium or high-energy x-rays that are created in a special machine. Early radiation treatments caused severe side-effects because the energy beams would damage normal, healthy tissue, but technologies have improved so that beams can be more accurately targeted.