What is cancer and how to treat

Cancer - a malignant tumor Malignant tumor: cells are mad   epithelial (cover) tissue. Cancer can develop from the skin or mucous membranes lining the internal organs due to various causes, providing long lasting effect on the tissue cells. Such effects may continue for many years, as long as the first tissue appear immature (atypical) cells. Atypical cells begin to grow rapidly, forming a tumor. Subsequently, tumor cells via lymphatic and blood vessels transferred first to nearby lymph nodes and then to the distant parts of the body (metastasis). The more atypical cells differ from normal cells, the faster growing and metastasizes Metastasis - danger everywhere   tumor.

There are three basic ways to treat cancer - a surgical operation, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which are used singly or in varying combinations depending on which organ is struck, the extent of the process and so forth.

Surgical treatment of cancer

Surgical treatment is used alone or in combination with other methods of gastric cancer Stomach cancer: genetics and lifestyle , Lung, colon, rectum, breast, and others. This is very important clarification of the extent of the process. Depending on the spread of the process and the use of other therapies, the following types of transactions:

• radical surgery - carried out at the initial stages of cancer, and is the complete removal of the tumor within the healthy tissue and nearby lymph nodes, which may be cancer cells;
• Palliative operation - carried out when the process has gone far enough, and cancer can not be removed completely; It is aimed at extending the life of the patient and is usually combined with radiation or chemotherapy;
• Symptomatic operation, which is carried out in order to facilitate the patient's condition, usually in advanced stages of cancer.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is the use of ionizing radiation to the cancer. For radiation therapy using various types of ionizing radiation (X-ray, gamma, braking), the flow of electrons, neutrons, protons, and dugie.

The therapeutic effect of radiotherapy of cancer is a tumor that occurs in a number of changes (the radiation damage of RNA and DNA, destruction of a number of enzymes, cell membrane damage, and so forth), resulting in damage and death of cancer cells. Simultaneously with the destruction of the tumor occurs proliferation of connective tissue and replacement of tumor scar.

Radiotherapy is used as a separate treatment or in combination with others, for example, surgical treatment or purpose antitumor agents. Preoperative radiotherapy is performed in tumors, which tend to spread rapidly and metastasis (e.g., in breast cancer, tongue, bladder). The main problem is thus reduced to reduce the ability of cancer cells to normal tissue fixation.

Postoperative radiotherapy aimed at the destruction of tumor cells both in the tumor and in the lymph nodes, it is generally carried out after palliative surgery.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy (drug therapy) is used to provide the damaging effect on tumor tissue with the help of drugs. Chemotherapy is often used to supplement surgical treatment and radiation therapy. But the drugs used to treat cancer, have a negative impact on the healthy human tissue.

Drugs used for chemotherapy are divided into hormonal preparations Hormonal treatments - not only contraceptives   and drugs having antitumor activity, synthetic and natural origin.

Hormonal agents used for chemotherapy of tumors sensitive thereto (hormone-dependent, for example, breast cancer). Appointed as drugs that inhibit the action of female sex hormones estrogen, contributing to the growth of hormone-dependent tumors.

Antitumor agents (cytostatics) inhibit the metabolic processes in cancer cells, halting their proliferation. A side effect of these drugs is influence on metabolic processes in cells most sensitive to them tissues (bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract, and others.), Which causes the patients unpleasant (sometimes severe) state.

The efficacy of chemotherapy depends on the number of tumor cells in the body: the fewer, the better the treatment. Therefore chemotherapy usually is the second stage of treatment after surgical removal of tumors or radiotherapy.

Note: The earlier cancer treatment, the better the chances for a full recovery.

Galina Romanenko

Drugs used for chemotherapy

All the funds used for the drug treatment of malignant tumors, divided into two groups: hormonal drugs and anticancer drugs actually synthetic and natural origin.

Hormonal drugs are mainly used to treat tumors that retain the ability to respond to the initial tissue hormones that normally regulate their growth. This so-called hormone-dependent tumors, which are cancer of the prostate Prostate cancer - the sad consequences of carelessness , mammary cancer Breast cancer: what every woman needs to know , Uterine cancer, thyroid cancer Thyroid cancer: it is curable . Close to hormonal anti-estrogens - drugs that block the action of female sex hormones estrogen, contributing to the growth of hormone-dependent tumors.

Action actually antitumor drugs is associated with inhibition of metabolic processes in tumor cells that suspends their proliferation (cytostatic effect). Simultaneously, they usually have an effect on the metabolism (first exchange of nucleic acids), bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract and other organs and tissues, and what their associated side effects.

The action of many anticancer agents that have a suppressive effect on metabolic processes in tumor cells is based on interactions with enzymes (protein substances that accelerate chemical processes) that are involved in the formation of DNA and RNA tumor cells. Antitumor action of herbal medicines due to the suppression of tumor cell division (mitosis).

Currently, an intensive search for anticancer agents that can selectively destroy the substance in which tumor cells are particularly needed.

Features of influence on tumor chemotherapy drugs

Tumor cells, as well as healthy cells and tissues, multiply by division, which consists of a series of successive phases. Actively dividing cells are more sensitive to the chemotherapeutic effects, however, such fast-growing tumors as leukemia, lymphosarcoma, and so forth, respond well to drug treatment. And since there are also healthy tissue, are prone to rapid proliferation (e.g., bone marrow), they are also adversely affected during the treatment period. Therefore, treatment of fast-growing tumors are trying to carry out short-term intensive courses (the tumor cells grow still more rapidly than normal cells) with breaks during which restores the normal tissues.

In contrast, tumor cells are propagated slowly (e.g., lung cancer) or temporarily stopped its growth to the drug effects are less sensitive. Therefore, to treat them apply more prolonged courses of chemotherapy with long intervals between re-treatment.

The results of the application of chemotherapy, even with highly sensitive to her tumors are directly dependent on the number of tumor cells: the fewer, the better the treatment. Therefore, chemotherapy often is the second stage of treatment after surgical removal of tumors or radiotherapy.

Complications that may occur during chemotherapy

Antineoplastic and damage healthy tissue, mainly their negative impact affects growing tissues bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract and hair follicles.

Negative effects of chemotherapy on the bone marrow is that inhibited the production of leukocytes (and hence suffers immunity Immunity - types and characteristics in children in adults   and the patient becomes vulnerable to any infection), and platelets (platelets responsible for blood clotting and a tendency of decrease in bleeding). To a lesser extent red blood cells suffer - erythrocytes.

Equally chemotherapy have a negative impact on other fast growing cells - cells of the gastrointestinal tract and liver. It causes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the mouth (stomatitis), and other phenomena that are generally poorly tolerated by patients.

The skin in the treatment of chemotherapy may appear itchy rash of various kinds, and in the future - skin discoloration, infection joining (pustular rashes). Suffer and skin appendages, particularly the hair follicles, which is why hair loss occurs, which eventually passes: after about weather hair growth is restored.

Chemotherapy - is an effective but hard-tolerated treatment for patients.

  Galina Romanenko