What is Cancer Treatment? How is Cancer Treated?

All tissues and organs in the body consist of different types of cells. Over time, dead cells are replaced by new cells formed by the division of healthy cells. Thus, cell renewal continues throughout the person’s life. DNA controls when cells should multiply. Due to DNA damage, cells may begin to divide even though it is not necessary. Cancer, one of today’s serious diseases, is a disease caused by the uncontrolled proliferation of the body’s own cells.

Due to this uncontrollable division and proliferation, cell masses are formed. The resulting cell masses are called tumors. These abnormal cells, or in other words cancer cells, live longer than other cells. Tumors that develop due to longevity and continuous uncontrolled proliferation can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors can be easily distinguished from the tissue in which they occur and are not identified as cancer. When benign tumors are removed surgically, the probability of recurrence is extremely low. In very rare cases, it poses a life risk. Malignant tumors, on the other hand, can compress normal tissues, infiltrate the tissues, or spread to other parts of the body through the bloodstream. They also multiply uncontrollably in the area they go to, leading to tumor formation. There are some risk factors that can lead to cancer: Some chronic viral diseases (Hepatitis B, C, HPV carrier), exposure to carcinogenic substances (smoking, chemical toxins, radioactive substances, etc.), hereditary genetic mutations, etc. To reduce these risk factors and prevent the development of some viral infections, preventive vaccination (Hepatitis B vaccine, HPV vaccine) or preventive interventions for those with hereditary risks is the most effective way to protect against cancer.

What is Cancer Treatment?

There are many different types of cancer, and diagnosis and treatment methods, as well as symptoms of cancer types, vary depending on the type of disease. If people with symptoms of cancer consult a physician, the physician first listens to the person’s detailed story. The person’s complaints, genetic history and life habits are evaluated. Then, additional laboratory tests and radiological imaging are performed to determine the type of cancer. If there is a tumor, a biopsy is performed. After the presence of cancer is clarified, the process, also known as cancer screening, is performed to check the focus of the cancer and whether it has metastasized. Cancer treatment methods are determined according to the type, spread and stage of the cancer. Some of these treatments can be listed as follows:

Surgical:The tumor formed due to cancer is removed by surgical methods without damaging the tissues in the body as much as possible.

Chemotherapy:It is a cytotoxic or, in other words, drug treatment method. Thanks to this method, which is also defined as treating the tumor with medication, the proliferation and growth of cancerous cells is prevented. The size of the tumor can be reduced. Different types of cancer can be treated with chemotherapy drugs of different effectiveness.

Smart drugs (Molecular or targeted therapies):These are drugs developed for specific genetic changes detected in tumors, and they are available in pill form or intravenously. It can be used alone or in addition to chemotherapy.

Immunotherapy:Nowadays, they are drugs that provide dramatic improvement in many cancers and are becoming increasingly common. These special molecules eliminate the natural brake mechanism in the immune system, allowing the immune system cells that recognize and attack the cancerous cell to be more effective and thus recognize and destroy the cancerous cell.

Radiotherapy:In radiotherapy applications, also known as radiation therapy, beams are sent to the person’s body by targeting the tumor. This method, which protects the surrounding organs, is the only treatment option for some types of cancer.

What are the Symptoms of Cancer?

Cancer symptoms vary depending on the type of cancer present. While some types of cancer do not cause any symptoms until the disease progresses, others may cause symptoms such as:

• Weight Loss:Continuous weight loss despite a person eating normally is one of the common symptoms of many different types of cancer.
• High fever:High body temperature without any infection is one of the symptoms of cancer.
• Weakness:The person feels tired and weak even though he is not physically tired and has had a good sleep.
• Audience Presence:The presence of palpable lumps in the breast, armpit and other different areas may be a sign of tumor.
• August:Discharge and bleeding from the anus and uterus are among the symptoms of cancer.
• Hoarseness:Complaints such as hoarseness and cough that do not go away for a long time may develop due to cancer.
• Difference in Urination and Defecation:Symptoms such as blood in the stool or urine, defecation problems, and change in urination frequency may be related to cancer.

Although cancer disease causes many different symptoms, the presence of these symptoms can also be explained by some other disorders. In the presence of these symptoms, it is necessary to see a physician and be examined for definitive diagnosis and treatment. In cancer types where early diagnosis is extremely important, time should not be wasted with different herbal treatments such as cancer herb, whose scientific effectiveness has not been proven. It should not be forgotten that cancer treatment and cancer drugs are much more effective when detected at an early stage. The symptoms of cancer patients in their last days also vary depending on the type of cancer. Frequently asked “What are the symptoms of cancer?” The question can be answered this way.

What are the Types and Types of Cancer?

There are approximately 100 different types of cancer. Some of the common types of cancer are:

• Breast Cancer:It is much more common in women than in men. It originates from cells in the breast tissue.
• Lung cancer:It occurs when lung cells proliferate uncontrollably. The biggest factor of the disease is smoking.
• Glioma:Brain tumors arising from cells in the brain tissue can also develop when different types of cancer metastasize to the brain.
• Cervical Cancer:Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the leading cause of cervical cancer.
• Colon cancer:Colon cancer, which is more common in people aged 50 and over, is also known as bowel cancer.

What are the Cancer Terms?

Some of the terms frequently used in cancer can be listed as follows:

• Tumor:Mass, lump or swelling.
• benign:Good-natured, benign.
• Malignant:Malicious, malignant.
• Metastasis:Spread of cancer cells to a different area.
• Marker:Tumor marker.
• Exam:Low blood level of white blood cells.
• Nodule:Small mass.

What Causes Cancer?

Cancer can be defined as the uncontrolled division and proliferation of cells in tissues and organs in the body and formation of masses. In other words, all types of cancer develop in cells, which are one of the basic structures of the body. “What causes cancer?” In order to better understand the answer to the question, it is necessary to understand how healthy cells turn into cancerous cells. All cells in the body, except muscle and nerve cells, multiply by dividing. This action, which is necessary for the renewal of dead cells, occurs extremely quickly in the first years of life, but slows down with age. There is also a limit to the ability of cells to divide. In other words, the cell cannot multiply by dividing forever. Every healthy cell knows when it should divide and die. Cell division, which is necessary for the continuation of a person’s vital functions, occurs in an orderly manner. However, in some cases, cells begin to divide and multiply even though it is not necessary. This condition is caused by damage to DNA. Viruses, tobacco use, excessive sun exposure, radiation and chemicals are the causes of cancer that cause DNA damage, or in other words, some of the cancer factors. Normally, damaged DNA is repaired by repair pathways within the cell, but in cancerous cells, these DNA repair mechanisms are impaired. In this case, cancerous cells multiply rapidly. Cancer cells live longer than normal cells. Therefore, over time, cells become clumps. The accumulation of cells in clusters is defined as a tumor. Frequently wondered “What is cancer?” and “How does cancer occur?” The questions can be answered this way.

What are the Stages of Cancer?

Cancer types have different stages. Cancer stage is an indicator of how advanced the disease is. The cancer stage is determined depending on factors such as the location and size of the focal tumor, lymph node involvement, and the presence and number of metastases. Cancer stages can be regressed with treatment.

Cancer progresses much better when detected at an early stage, and some types of cancer can be completely treated. At this point, there is an important connection between cancer treatment and early diagnosis. Every year, April 1 – 7 has been designated as Cancer Week in order to raise public awareness about cancer and ways to protect it.