Learn About Cancer Types & Our Treatment Options

There are more than 200 types of cancer that affect people of all ages all around the world. It can be pretty overwhelming to choose the appropriate treatment option when you are suffering from deadly disease like cancer. While some are treatable, others might not even give time to realize what is going on. With the development of the healthcare industry, a varied range of treatment options are available these days, and in most cases, the life tenure of the patient can be increased up to a certain number of years.

Even though it is still grim and, in some instances, cancer can not be cured, these small steps that are available today were not possible just decades ago. So, let’s dive in deeper to get a brief idea about the types of cancer and the various kinds of treatment methods that are accessible these days.

Types of Cancer

Cancer is often referred to as the uncontrollable growth of cells in any part or organ of the body. There are more than 200+ known cancer types, among which a bunch of them are still not identified yet. Some of the major types of cancer that commonly affects people are mentioned below:

• Carcinoma: This is the most common type of cancer which starts at the skin or tissue, therefore the outer cover of the internal organs. There are several subtypes which include basal cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and transitional cell carcinoma.

• Sarcoma: The cancers which develop on the supportive tissues such as bone, fat, muscles, blood vessels, or cartilage are referred to as sarcoma. Some of the major ones are osteosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, angiosarcoma, liposarcoma, fibrosarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma.

• Lymphoma and myeloma: This type of cancer typically develops in the lymphatic system of the body, which includes the glands and tubes of the body that are supposed to filter the body fluids and fight infections and other diseases. Some of the main types are T-cell lymphoma, B-cell lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and lymphoproliferative lymphoma.

• Leukemia: The cancers that affect the blood-forming tissues, such as the white blood cells present in the bone marrow, and lead to a sudden increasing growth of abnormal blood cells are referred to as leukemia. Some of the different kinds of leukemia are acute lymphoblastic leukemia, chronic lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myelogenous leukemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, T-cell leukemia, and hairy leukemia.

• Central nervous system cancers: The cancers that occur in the brain and simal cord of the body are known as central nervous system cancers. The varied range of this type of cancer is gliomas, brain, and spinal cord tumours, meningiomas, vestibular, pituitary adenoma, primary CNS lymphomas, schwannomas, and primitive neuroectodermal tumours.

Treatment options for treating cancer

The treatment method depends solely on the cancer type and upon several other factors such as age, other health issues, and the cancer stage at which it was detected.

While some people go through a particular type of treatment procedure, others might have to opt for a combination of several ones. Here are some of the most helpful treatment options that are used to treat patients suffering from cancer.

• Chemotherapy: This is one of the most common methods of treating cancer, where anticancer drugs are used to kill the cancer cells.

• Hormone therapy: Cancers developing in specific organs such as the breast and prostate use hormones to grow further. This kind of treatment is used for treating those cases of cancer, and hormone therapy is used to either stop or slow down the growth of the cancer cells.

• Radiation therapy: Cancer cells are killed with radiation with the usage of this treatment procedure.

• Stem cell transplant: Healthy stem cells are restored in cancer patients from donors after they go through a high dosage of radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

• Surgery: Surgery is typically used in those patients where cancer can be entirely eliminated by removing a specific portion or organ of the body.

• Targeted Therapy: This therapy is used to treat a particular characteristic of cancer cells that helps them multiply, divide, and spread to other areas of the body.

Ending Note

Depending on the type of cancer you are suffering from, the oncologist will plan the treatment procedure most suitable for your body. While there are no preventive measures that can be followed to stay away from this deadly disease, several risk factors can be avoided for staying on the safe side. Staying away from tobacco consumption and alcohol is one of the best ways to keep yourself safe from certain types of cancer.