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Cancer Research Is A Partnership
It is well understood that cancer isn’t just one specific disease. Everyone’s cancer diagnosis is different. Physicians create a treatment plan based on the type of cancer diagnosed and how to personalize it to a person’s age, gender, and the type of cancer presented within the body.
In collaboration with you and a physician, there are also partnerships with educational institutions, governments, and private entities to improve traditional treatments, as well as to create life-saving innovations in the battle against cancer.
Innovative and Improved Cancer Treatment Plans
Chemotherapy and radiation are the current treatment leaders in helping people live with and/or recover from various types of cancer. In addition to chemo or radiation are new targeted therapies that are used as an accompaniment to traditional treatment plans.
Surgery
Surgical procedures have improved by inserting the use of lasers, with their very succinct use of targeting exact cancer location areas without cutting in and around the body. Cryosurgery is another surgical treatment plan that targets cancer tissues with liquid nitrogen or argon gas.
Cryosurgery or cryotherapy treatments work great in cancer tissues that are identified early. On the opposite end of cold is heated. Hyperthermia exposes cancerous tissues to intense heat. This is accomplished through the use of radiofrequency energy radio waves. Last photodynamic therapy uses light and drugs in partnership to kill cancer cells.
Immunotherapy
Scientists and researchers are looking at how our bodies can contribute to destroying cancer cells by tweaking their ability to heal faster with immunotherapy. The human body is created with the ability to naturally heal itself.
In this area of cancer-fighting research normal and diseased cells are removed and tested using antibody drugs to create a new type of cell to fight cancer. Success has come from this type of treatment plan via better medications, IV therapy, creams, and more.
By using the body’s diseased cells and tissues for testing, researchers have also found a way to target specific cells that can hide within our immune system. From this procedure, new targeted or customized medications are being created that only target cancerous cells and surrounding tissues.
Hormone Therapy
In keeping with using the body’s invasive fighting ability, comes hormone therapy. This treatment plan uses natural hormones to block the body’s ability to produce hormones and those that interfere with how hormones behave in the body.
Improved hormone therapy shrinks cancerous cells, destroys cancer-like cells so that they do not spread, plus hormone treatments help to keep cancer at bay. Hormone therapy is a customized plan that is given via capsules, injections, and certain surgical procedures.
Radiotherapy
The Mayo Clinic reports that there is a breakthrough in the treatment of brain cancer. This innovative treatment modus is “radiotherapy.” After successful trials, radiotherapy information and testing have proven to help patients with brain cancer to avoid any mental damage as a result of brain radiation therapy.
Radiotherapy uses high energy x-rays to kill cancer cells. This treatment is also proving helpful in treating breast cancer and any side effects. Radiotherapy is given after breast surgery because it lessens the chance of cancer returning.
Stem Cell Therapy
Another cancer therapy on the cusp of new hope in cancer research is a very promising endnote to cancer and that is “stem cell” transplant treatment. Patients who have had their cancer-fighting stem cells (white, red, platelets) damaged or destroyed by chemo or radiation, can have healthy blood-forming stem cells replaced. Stem cell transplant is easily accomplished by inserting a needle filled with healthy stem cells directly into the vein. Stem cell therapy is a specific process that takes time, but its results are good.
Endnote
The goal of cancer research, studies, and trials are to eradicate its existence. Global partnerships are making innovative discoveries consistently. One day soon, a new hope breakthrough will come and lives will improve.