Types
of Cancer Treatment
- Biopsy, either incisional or excisional.
- Endoscopy, either upper or lower gastrointestinal, bronchoscopy, or
nasendoscopy.
- X-rays, CT scanning, MRI scanning, ultrasound and other radiological
techniques.
- Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography, Positron emission
tomography and other methods of nuclear medicine.
- Blood tests, including Tumor markers, which can increase the
suspicion of certain types of tumors or even be pathognomonic of a
particular disease.
Apart from in diagnosis, these modalities (especially imaging by CT
scanning) are often used to determine operatability, i.e. whether it is
surgically possible to remove a tumor in its entirety.
Generally, a "tissue diagnosis" (from a biopsy) is considered
essential for the proper identification of cancer. When this is not
possible, "empirical therapy" (without an exact diagnosis) may be
given, based on the available evidence (e.g. history, x-rays and scans.)
Occasionally, a metastatic lump or pathological lymph node is found
(typically in the neck) for which a primary tumor cannot be found. This
situation is referred to as "carcinoma of unknown primary", and
again, treatment is empirical based on past experience of the most likely
origin.
Types of cancers include:
- Brain cancer
- Cervical cancer
- Uterine cancer
- Liver cancer
- Leukemia
- Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Kidney cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Skin cancer
- Testicular cancer
- Thyroid cancer
Specialities include:
- Radiation Oncology Therapy
- Surgical Oncology Therapy
- Medical Oncology Therapy
- Paediatric Oncology Therapy
Cancer treatment also varies based on the type of cancer and its stage. The stage
of a cancer refers to how much it has grown and whether the tumor has spread
from its original location.
- If the cancer is confined to one location and has not spread, the
goal for treatment would be surgery and cure. This is often the case
with skin cancers.
- If the tumor has spread to local lymph nodes only, sometimes these
can also be removed.
- If all of the cancer cannot be removed with surgery, the options for
treatment include radiation cancer treatment, chemotherapy, or both. Some \
cancers require a combination of surgery, radiation oncology therapy, and chemotherapy.
