Cancer is one of the biggest killers and despite many years of serious research, a cure has not been found. Millions of people around the world are suffering from this crippling disease, which can be effectively treated if detected at an early stage and with that in mind, here are some of the many cancer treatments that are available today.
- Chemotherapy – This is a drug treatment that can cure or control cancer; there are side effects that include hair loss, which is temporary, while patients may experience nausea and there are drugs to minimise these side effects.
- Radiation – One commonly used treatment is lung cancer radiation that kills cancer cells and it can be used on its own or in conjunction with other treatments such as chemotherapy or hyperthermia.
- Surgery – Surgery is sometimes the best treatment, which involves surgically removing cancerous cells and a biopsy would be taken to assess whether surgery is the best form of treatment. In some cases, surgery is performed to obtain an accurate diagnosis and also to find out the extent the disease has spread.
- Immunotherapy – Rather than addressing the cancer directly, immunotherapy boosts the immune system to improve its efficiency to attack cancer cells.
- Hyperthermia – This treatment involves using direct heat to prevent cancer cells; a temperature of 43-46° C is used and a session takes 60 minutes. Hyperthermia does not damage healthy cells and comes in several forms, including deep hyperthermia and superficial hyperthermia.
- Interventional radiology – This form of treatment uses medical imaging to get a close up view of the area in question; catheters and needles can be used to treat cancer that used to require surgery. This treatment can be used to deliver radioactive particles to a target area, while other imaging solutions can also be used for diagnosis.
- Stem cell transplant – Stem cell transplant is suitable for certain types of cancer such as leukemia, lymphona and multiple myeloma. The treatment delivers new stem cells into the blood and the stem cells are typically extracted from bone marrow. Stem cell treatment is not suitable for everyone and there can be side effects, such as nausea and fatigue; the treatment also inhibits the immune system for a few months, leaving the patient more susceptible to infection.
You should schedule a full medical examination on an annual basis, which would reveal any form of cancer and early detection gives your GP a chance to recommend suitable treatment. If you do have treatment for cancer, you need to be examined on a regular basis and if you are given the all-clear, you should be examined every year to ensure the cancer has not returned.
Cancer can attack anyone at any time and if you schedule an annual check-up, you can be sure that you are cancer-free. Many people seek cancer treatment in Bangkok, where you will find top clinics with state-of-the-art treatment.