Organ specific cancer treatments
Certain advanced cancer
hospitals manage cancer in an organ specific way, and accordingly
oncologists are reserved for treating cancers affecting specific organs
only. Accordingly, oncologists have successfully treated breast cancer,
head and neck cancer, gynecological cancer, orthopedic cancer, lung
cancer, neuro cancer, and liver cancer.
Understanding each organ specific cancer and the treatment available for it
Breast Cancer
It
is the commonest of cancers affecting women, and it is believed to be
the cancer that has caused the most mortality among women next to lung
cancer. The mortality has been the highest among women whose ages were
between 45 and 55. Breast cancer is curable if it is diagnosed at an
early stage, and if the necessary treatments are carried out immediately
following its detection. Breast cancer is growth of breast cells in an
uncontrolled manner.
Breast cancer diagnosis
Abnormal presence of a lump
This
diagnosis can be carried out by the patient, and the doctor too looks
for the presence of abnormally looking lumps through physical breast
examinations. Other than a lump, the changes in the breast that doctors
look forward to finding is skin dimpling, unusual changes in the size,
and or shape of the breast, pulled in nipples as against it being
pointed outward when normal, and discoloration of the breast's skin.
Mammography
Radiologists
use mammograms to seek out abnormalities in the breasts. Mammograms are
x-ray photographs of the breast that are usually taken by keeping the
breasts in a compressed position.
Ultrasound imaging of breasts
Ultrasound
imaging is used to examine the breasts, and this technique of using
sound waves helps in distinguishing whether a lump that has been noticed
in a breast is either a cyst filled with fluid, or a solid one.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging, or MRI
The
MRI of a breast is taken using a strong magnetic field. MRI of the
breast becomes necessary in certain situations to properly diagnose
breast cancer.
Biopsy
The biopsy of the breast becomes
necessary when the oncologist has a strong suspicion of cancer being
present. A core needle biopsy is performed on the suspect area of the
breast to either confirm the disease, or rule it out.
The benefit of early breast cancer detection
Detection
of breast cancer can be made at an early stage through screening.
Screening refers to the various tests and examinations that are carried
out on the breasts of a person to detect the disease at the earliest,
even before the actual symptoms of the disease starts to show. Usually
breast cancers that can be felt and detected are cancers that have grown
larger in size and that which in usual cases has spread to regions
outside the breast. The treatment in such cases is very complex. Breast
cancers can be treated successfully if it is detected very early, and
before the actual cancer symptoms starts to show.
Breast cancer treatment
Breast cancer is treated either through local treatment or systemic treatment.
Local
treatment of breast cancer involves removal, destruction, or
controlling the growth of cancerous cells in the breast. Local treatment
by surgery is also known by the names mastectomy, and it is also
referred to as lumpectomy. This is a breast preserving therapy. The
other local treatment is the use of radiation therapy. Radiation therapy
involves use of a high energy radiation beam to destroy the cancer
cells. Advanced equipment like LINAC helps in focusing the radiation
beam on to the cancer cells, and minimizes, or avoids causing damage to
the surrounding healthy cells.
Systemic treatment becomes
necessary if the breast cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
This treatment is therefore used to control and destroy cancer cells
across the body. The various therapies that are used in this treatment
include chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and biological therapy.
Chemotherapy
involves the use of drugs to kill or control cancer cells. Hormone
therapy involves use of certain drugs that inhibit production of certain
hormones in the body, like estrogen, which can aid in the revival of
cancerous breast cells that manage to remain in the body post the
surgery of the breast. Biological therapy involves use of the body's
immune system in fighting and destroying cancerous cells.
Thus
cancer hospitals that offer breast cancer treatments are equipped with a
robust team of breast surgeons, plastic surgeons, medical oncologists
and other associated staff, they have with them advanced machinery for
diagnosis and treatment, and they also have the facilities of advanced
ICUs for apt patient management and recovery.
Lung cancer
Lung
cancer is associated with uncontrolled growth of cells in either one,
or both of the lungs. These cells do not develop into healthy lung
tissue, but rather becomes abnormal cells which further continue to
divide forming lumps of tissues which are identified as tumors.
Diagnosis
The
symptom that is commonly associated with lung cancer is shortness of
breath and presence of wheezing. Certain other symptoms like chest pain,
fatigue, appetite loss, presence of blood in the sputum while coughing,
persistent cough, unanticipated loss of weight, and coughing out blood,
are also associated with lung cancer. Presence of these symptoms
together with reports from many other procedures will be used by
physicians in diagnosing the presence or absence of lung cancer. Imaging
techniques like X-Rays of chest, bronchoscopy, MRI, CT, and PET scans,
are also used to diagnose lung cancer. Further, the patient is also
subject to a physical examination by the physician, and an analysis of
the patient's sputum is also made. All these examinations and procedures
will reveal the presence of lung cancer, and also the location of the
tumor, and also information about the presence or absence of the disease
anywhere else in the body.
Lung cancer treatment
There are
many factors which influence lung cancer treatment, and the factors on
which lung cancer treatment is dependent on includes, the type of the
cancer, the stage or how far the cancer has spread, the age of the
patient, his or her health status, and many other personal
characteristics of the patient. There is no particular treatment for
lung cancer, and patients often receive treatment which is a combination
of palliative care and multiple therapies. The foremost of lung cancer
treatment therapies include surgery, radiation therapy, and
chemotherapy. The patient will also be exposed to therapies that have
been recently developed which include gene therapy, hormone therapy, and
also immunotherapy.
The treating team comprises of radiation
oncologists, thoracic surgeons, medical oncologists, onco medical social
workers, and so forth.
Orthopedic cancer
Orthopedic cancer
involves musculoskeletal tumors that affect the pelvis, limbs, and
spine. Orthopedic cancerous tumors that are usually seen in children and
adolescents are Ewings sarcoma and Osteosarcoma. Cancerous tumors that
are more common among adults are chondrosarcoma, metastasis, and
multiple myeloma. These tumors are considered to be rare, and the exact
cause that leads to their formation has remained a mystery till date.
Patients
who are affected with these tumors have persistent pain in their back
or limbs, and this pain will not subside with medications or rest.
Paralysis and hand or foot weaknesses are symptoms patients with spine
tumors usually present with.
Orthopedic cancer diagnosis
Clinical
examination by a specialist and further investigations becomes
necessary to diagnose orthopedic cancer; mere physical examinations of
bone and soft tissue swellings will never reveal the presence of
orthopedic cancerous tumor. The investigations that are usually carried
out include X-Ray, MRI, PET, CT, and Bone scan. Biopsy is necessary to
confirm the diagnosis.
Orthopedic cancer treatment
Tumors
like Ewings sarcoma and Osteosarcoma needs a combination of treatment
therapies which starts with chemotherapy, which is then followed by
surgery, and eventually involves radiotherapy. Surgical treatments
become necessary to treat benign tumors, and tumors like chondrosarcoma.
The quality of life of patients suffering from bone metastasis can be
considerably improved by subjecting them to palliative surgeries.
Procedures are customized in accordance with patients when limbs or arms
need to be saved from amputation. Cancer hospitals make the necessary
provisions for prosthetic substitutions when amputation surgeries become
necessary.
There are no known methods to prevent the occurrence
of musculoskeletal tumors, and these tumors are considerably rare. Since
prevention is ruled out, early detection alone can lead to proper
treatment. Further, advancements in technology in the recent times has
brought forward the possibility of liberating patients from definite
limb or arm amputations when they are affected with bone cancers. But,
amputation can be avoided only when the cancer is detected at an early
stage. Numerous patients have been treated and were rehabilitated, and
they are now in a position to lead a normal life; these patients have
benefited from the advancements made in technology, which has made
complex surgeries simpler.
Cancer hospitals use advanced
technologies for soft tissue sarcoma tumor excisions including
Brachytherapy, and also use of LINAC for external radiation therapy.
The
orthopedic cancer treatment team of cancer hospitals comprises of
medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, physiotherapists, and so
forth.
Patients seeking treatment for musculoskeletal tumors can
also benefit from numerous services including, limb salvaging surgery
while being treated for malignant tumors, benign bone tumor management,
pelvic and spine tumor surgery, treatment for skin malignancy, soft
tissue sarcoma treatment, and so forth.
Head and Neck Cancer
Head
and Neck Cancer are cancers affecting the Upper Aero Digestive Tract,
or UADT, cancers that affect the region between the collar-bone and the
brain, and cancers that originate at glands like thyroid and parotid.
Diagnosis
A
good physical examination under the hands of a competent oncologist
will reveal the presence of head and neck cancer. Biopsy of the affected
region will give an accurate confirmation. Lumps are explored by means
of a Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology, or FNAC.
Head and Neck cancer treatment
The
head and neck area is associated with the personality of a person.
Further, the various important functional areas, which also involve a
person's senses like sight, smell, auditory, taste, speech, and
swallowing, are present in this region. Hence, the treatment of cancers
affecting the head and neck area needs to be a balanced one, the
treatment should not compromise the aesthetics, or the functions of the
sensory organs, but concurrently the treatment should be effective in
containing the cancer. Thus, the most advanced of head and neck cancer
treatments that are carried out is aimed at preserving the functions of
the sensory organs and simultaneously controlling cancer in an effective
way. Either surgery or radiation therapy is sufficient during the early
stages of the onset of head and neck cancer. But, surgery combined with
radiation therapy becomes necessary during the advanced stages of head
and neck cancer. Chemotherapy too is used along with radiotherapy to
enhance the potentiality of radiotherapy.
Further, head and neck
cancer treatments also benefits from the advancements made in the domain
of reconstructive surgery. These advancements has made it possible to
preserve the functionality of vital sensory organs, and thereby
improving the quality of life of the affected individual. Some of the
surgery advancements that have aided head and neck cancer treatments
include micro vascular tissue transfer, functional neck surgery, jaw
preserving surgery, and so forth. Further, advanced machinery for
external radiotherapy like LINACs has made it possible to deliver high
intensity radiations in a precise way to tumors that are deep-seated,
and also sparing vital anatomy in the vicinity of the tumor. LINACs have
greatly reduced the treatment duration too.
The additional
conservative services that a patient can also benefit from while being
treated for head and neck cancer includes head and neck surgery,
cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, preservation of voice, restoration
of speech, micro-vascular regeneration, speech rehabilitation,
faciomaxillary surgery, prosthodontic treatments, and so forth.
Liver Cancer
All
cancers and tumors affecting the liver have come to be known as liver
cancer, and this includes primary liver tumors, and secondary liver
tumors also. Primary liver tumors are liver tumors that emanate within
the liver, and secondary liver tumors are tumors that have spread to the
liver from other cancer affected sites of the body.
Liver cancer diagnosis
Imaging
techniques including ultrasound, PET, and, or CT scan is required.
Biopsy will or will not be required to establish liver cancer.
Liver cancer treatment
When
liver cancer is detected in the early stage, it is usually treated by
surgically removing the tumor, or destroying the tumor cells using
targeted chemotherapy, which is also known as TACE, or by liver
transplantation. There are numerous other factors which also determines
the treatment that needs to be undertaken including the condition of the
liver, the size of the liver, location, tumor count, the age of the
affected person, and the person's overall health. Further, the risks and
the benefits associated with a particular mode of treatment is also
dependent on the extension the tumor has achieved, the condition of the
liver, and also the health condition of the affected person. In the
usual cases, a treatment plan is tailor-made in accordance with the
condition of the person being treated.
Patients undergoing liver
cancer treatment at advanced cancer hospitals have the benefit of
receiving chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy under one roof.
Further, these cancer hospitals have liver transplantation programs, and
in accordance with these programs certain patients affected with liver
cancer have the benefit of undergoing a liver transplant at the hospital
they are being treated.
The cancer hospitals treating liver
cancer have doctors in their team from various disciplines including
hepatobiliary surgery, radiology, oncology, hepatology, pathology, and
so forth. The entire team is well-trained and experienced in liver
cancer management, and they work in unison at solving complex liver
cancer problems.
Gynecological Cancer
Cancers affecting the
female reproductive organs have been grouped under gynecological cancer.
The cancers included under gynecological cancer include cervical
cancer, vaginal cancer, ovarian cancer, vulvar cancer, and uterian
cancer.
Gynecological cancer diagnosis
The symptoms that are
usually associated with gynecological cancer includes vaginal bleeding
that is not normal, swelling or bloating that is persistent in the
abdominal region, gain in weight or loss that is questionable,
persistent diarrhea, or constipation. Gynecological cancer is diagnosed
only after thorough gynecological and clinical examinations. Imaging
techniques like ultrasound, CT, and PET/CT scans are also used for
accurate diagnosis. Biopsy may or may not be used in the diagnosis
procedure.
Gynecological cancer treatment
The treatment is
based on the extent of the spread of the cancer, and also on the type of
cancer present. The treatment is usually a combination of surgery,
chemotherapy, and may or may not use radiotherapy. Surgery involves
excision of cancerous cells from the affected area. Chemotherapy is the
use of drugs to stop, or control the growth of cancer cells in the
affected area. The drugs are administered into the body either in the
form of pills, or through Intra Venous, or IV injections. Radiotherapy
involves the use of high energy radiation beams to kill the cancer
cells, or preventing them from spreading further.
Gynecological
cancer treatment which spares fertility have been successfully carried
out. Ovarian choriocarcinoma which was in stage IV has been successfully
treated by sparing fertility using a combination of surgery and
chemotherapy.
The services and treatments patients can expect for Gynecological cancer from cancer hospitals includes
· Diagnostic services like hysteroscopy, biopsy, laproscopy, colposcopy, and so forth,
·
Ultra-radical and radical surgeries like Wertheim's hysterectomy,
radical vagino-abdominal surgery, and Japanese radical surgery for
cancer at stage II B, are carried out to treat uterine cervix cancer.
Para-aortic and pelvic lymphadenectomy are also carried out as part of
the procedure.
· Intraperitoneal chemotherapy,
·
Cytoreductive surgery for ovarian tumor management is done, and this
also involves hysterectomy, omentectomy, lymphadenectomy, and
diaphragmatic stripping. Intraperitoneal chemotherapy is offered to
patients requiring chemotherapy, and this has a good survival rate.
·
Typel hysterecotmy is used in treating endometrial cancer. Pelvic and
para-aortic lymphadenectomy is also used. Progesterone therapy in high
doses in undertaken to treat certain cases when fertility sparing
becomes necessary.
· Radical vulvectomy, partial vaginectomy, and
also partial urethrectomy with dissection of groin node is carried out
in the treatment of vulval cancer.
· Surgical treatments are done to treat vaginal cancer and also fallopian tube cancers.
·
Chemotherapy and hysterectomy is used in treatment of choriocarcinoma.
Fertility sparing tumor excisions are also carried out in certain cases.
· Neo-vagina creation, urethral stricture treatment, vaginal dryness treatment, and so forth
· Adjuvant radiotherapy, and chemotherapy too is provided on a patient basis, as need be.
Neuro Cancer
Tumors
affecting the brain, spinal cord, and the peripheral nerves are treated
as Neuro cancers. Abnormal growth of cells in the brain leads to brain
tumor. Likewise, abnormal cell growth in the spinal cord, and peripheral
nerves leads to spinal cord tumors and peripheral nerve tumors,
respectively.
Symptoms
Blurred vision, neurological defects,
vomiting, persistent headaches, seizures, and so forth, are symptoms
associated with brain tumors.
Back pain, disturbances in the
bowels and bladder, pain in the limbs and arms, weakness associated with
limbs and arms, and so forth are some of the symptoms associated with
spinal cord cancer.
Swelling, feeling of weakness, pain, and so forth are symptoms associated with peripheral nerve tumors.
Neuro cancer diagnosis and treatment
Imaging techniques including CT, MRI, PET/CT scans are used for diagnosis.
The
foremost technique of tackling neuro cancers is surgery. Tumors of the
brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves are surgically removed. A
thorough histological diagnosis can be achieved of the tumor, as a
result of this surgical intervention. Further, physical removal of the
tumor also relieves the affected person of the cancer symptoms. The
surgery also paves the way for a brisk recovery. The surgery can be
followed by other treatment methods such as chemotherapy, and
radiotherapy.
Any person affected with neuro cancer becomes
eligible for neuro cancer treatment. But, early detection of neuro
cancer helps annihilate the disease entirely. Tumors of the brain,
spinal cord, or the peripheral nerves need immediate treatment, and if
they are left untreated they can become life threatening at a later
date. With advancements in technology, neuro cancer treatment has become
significantly safe and manageable. Further, the treatment time, and
thereby the required days of stay in the hospital has been considerably
reduced.
Advanced cancer hospitals use numerous top-notch
techniques in the treatment of neuro cancers including stem cell
therapy, cerebral micro dialysis, and so forth. Advanced cancer
hospitals have the required technology to conduct microneurosurgery,
neuro surgery using navigation, neuro surgery that is guided by
endoscopy, neuro surgery that is guided by imagery, and so forth.
Further,
advanced cancer hospitals are also equipped with advanced top-notch
operation theaters that are designed to handle neuro cancer cases, they
also have advanced neuro ICUs and other associated infrastructure that
helps a neuro cancer patient recover in a safe and monitored
environment.
By
Dr Priya Rajendran
