I have always been in pretty good health, so I was surprised one day when my doctor told me my blood pressure was a bit high. She told me to begin watching my salt intake, start exercising, and to try to relax. Well, I intended to follow her advice when I left her office, but the next day I was back to my same habits. I kept using the salt shaker and didn't begin an exercise routine like I had planned. When I went for my next check-up, she told me that my blood pressure was even higher and approaching a dangerous level. I had to begin a blood pressure medication to manage it. I wanted to create a blog to share my story and remind people to listen to their doctors' advice. If a few lifestyle changes can improve your health, then you should make them.
Cancer can be one of the most harrowing experiences that you or a loved one can possibly experience. Cancer can be trying, tiring, and painful. There are many ways in which cancer treatments have come a long way throughout the years, especially throughout the late 20th century and now on into the 21st century. There are numerous forms of cancer treatments, but some are far more common than others. Included throughout the course of this brief article is a list of the 3 most common forms of cancer treatments.
Surgery
Surgery is the treatment that is used when a tumor can be extracted from the body. In almost all cases where a tumor is benign or in an embryonic stage, then the tumor can be extracted from the body. This is a relatively normal procedure in which a surgery is performed. Many of the hallmarks of a regular surgery are experienced, in that you will have a recovery period and during the course of the surgery, local anesthetic is used. In most cases, you will be given a drug so that you lose consciousness throughout the course of the surgery. Although surgery is very common, it cannot be used when the form of cancer has spread to a large degree and become malignant.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is perhaps the most recognized form of cancer treatment throughout the world. When someone says they are undergoing treatment for cancer, the first thing that pops into most people's minds is chemotherapy.
Having said that, many people are not familiar with the ends and outs of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is essentially the use of drugs to kill the cancer that is within the body. The drugs related to chemotherapy are taken through the vein (IV) or orally, and travel throughout the body, killing off cells related to the cancer and those that have metastasized throughout the rest of the body. Unfortunately, there are a number of different side effects associated with chemotherapy that are quite negative. Nausea and vomiting are the two most common low-level side effects associated with the treatment, but there are some side effects which are a bit more long lasting, such as a loss of hair and a weakened autoimmune system.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is also incredibly common, and many people confuse chemotherapy with radiation therapy. During radiation therapy, essentially what happens is that the body is doused with radiation, through one means or another, and this radiation sets out to kill the cancerous cells within the body.
The means through which radiation is delivered to the body differ from treatment to treatment, however. In some cases, it is through external means, which is to say that powerful x-rays bombard the body and set out to kill the cancerous cells. There are other cases in which the radiation comes from internal means, which is to say that there are implants placed within the body, usually near tumors, that generate radiation, slowly eating away at the tumor and cancerous cells that have metastasized throughout the body. One of the biggest side effects associated with radiation therapy is tissue damage.
Cancer treatments are wide ranging, and there are various other forms of treatments that were not listed throughout the course of this article, such as immunotherapy and targeted therapy that are also used to treat certain forms of cancer. It is best to discuss with your oncologist and surgeon which treatment or coupling of treatments is best for you. Often times you will find that your oncologist will recommend a blend of different treatment options, rather than just opting for one single option to treat your cancer.
Share1 September 2015
