Cancer is the name given to a collection of related diseases. In all types of cancer, some of the body’s cells begin to divide without stopping and spread into surrounding tissues.
Cancer can start almost anywhere in the human body, which is made up of trillions of cells. Normally, human cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old or become damaged, they die, and new cells take their place.
When cancer develops, however, this orderly process breaks down. As cells become more and more abnormal, old or damaged cells survive when they should die, and new cells form when they are not needed. These extra cells can divide without stopping and may form growths called tumors.
How Is Cancer Diagnosed?
The earlier cancer is diagnosed and treated, the better the chance of its being cured. Some types of cancer -- such as those of the skin, breast, mouth, testicles, prostate, and rectum -- may be detected by routine self-exam or other screening measures before the symptoms become serious. Most cases of cancer are detected and diagnosed after a tumor can be felt or when other symptoms develop. In a few cases, cancer is diagnosed incidentally as a result of evaluating or treating other medical conditions.
Cancer diagnosis begins with a thorough physical exam and a complete medical history. Laboratory studies of blood, urine, and stool can detect abnormalities that may indicate cancer. When a tumor is suspected, imaging tests such as X-rays, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, and fiber-optic endoscopy examinations help doctors determine the cancer's location and size. To confirm the diagnosis of most cancers , a biopsy needs to be performed in which a tissue sample is removed from the suspected tumor and studied under a microscope to check for cancer cells.
If the diagnosis is positive (cancer is present), other tests are performed to provide specific information about the cancer. This essential follow-up phase of diagnosis is called staging. The most important thing doctors need to know is whether cancer has spread from one area of the body to another. If the initial diagnosis is negative for cancer and symptoms persist, further tests may be needed. If the biopsy is positive for cancer, be sure to seek a confirming opinion by a doctor who specializes in cancer treatment before any treatment is started.
What Are the Treatments for Cancer?
Depending on the type and stage of cancer, treatments to eradicate the tumor or slow its growth may include some combination of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy or immunotherapy.
Day care chemotherapy is a relatively new concept in India.
Chemotherapy is one of the most important treatments in all types of cancer. It targets cancer cells with drugs. There are many different types of “chemo” and it different people respond to it in different ways. Chemotherapy destroys cancer cells, but also stops or slows their growth and prevents them from spreading to other parts of the body. Chemotherapy can be a stand-alone treatment or given with other forms of intervention like radiation and surgery. The procedure can also make other treatments more effective.
What is Surgical, Medical & Radiation Oncology
What is Surgical Oncology ?
Historically, surgery was the only treatment for cancer with pioneering surgeons pushing the boundaries of knowledge down through the millenia . Only in the last century have non surgical means provided an adjunct or more rarely, an alternative to surgery . Despite the advances in medical and radiation oncology, surgery is still the only modality with the potential to cure most solid cancers. Surgeons have a pivotal role in cancer treatments and research, leading the diagnostic and treatment pathways for most cancers from counselling patients about their diagnosis through to surgery and aftercare. They have also led many of the great advances in cancer research.
However, cancer care has evolved very rapidly over the last few decades and therefore a new type of surgeon is needed to keep pace with these changes. No longer is surgery alone the only treatment for most solid malignancies but a combination of surgery and multi-modal therapies (with highly focussed radiotherapy, targeted molecular therapies and poly-chemotherapy) becoming the modern standard of care.
As a result, the surgeon, who 40 years ago would often be the only specialist to have contact with most cancer patients, can no longer work in isolation but must lead a multi-disciplinary team. They must be more than just a technician and must understand the biology and natural history of the disease as well as the contributions made by other disciplines to the cancer patients’ treatment. It is at this point that the surgeon becomes a surgical oncologist.
Examples include:
Collaboration with radiation and medical oncologists on the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy to enhance or permit surgery possible and on the indications for adjuvant therapy after surgery. Collaboration with radiologists to plan surgery or optimise resection margins. Collaboration with pathologists to ensure appropriate primary and adjuvant therapies, (tumour immunophenotyping and mutational analysis to optimise treatment) and to quality assure surgery (e.g. assessment of circumferential resection margins following TME) Collaboration with geneticists in hereditary cancers to optimise treatment, prevention or screening strategies (BRCA1, FAP).
Medical Oncology
Medical Oncology (MO) communicates the results of clinical and experimental research in oncology and hematology, particularly with experimental therapeutics with the field of immunotherapy and chemotherapy. It also provides state-of-the-art reviews on clinical and experimental therapies in oncology and hematology. Topics covered include immunobiology, pathogenesis, and treatment of malignant tumors.
Radiation Oncologist
A radiation oncologist is a specialist physician who uses ionizing radiation (such as megavoltage X-rays or radionuclides) in the treatment of cancer. Radiation oncology is one of the three primary specialties, the other two being surgical and medical oncology, involved in the treatment of cancer. Radiation can be given as a curative modality, either alone or in combination with surgery and/or chemotherapy. It may also be used palliatively, to relieve symptoms in patients with incurable cancers. A radiation oncologist may also use radiation to treat some benign diseases, including benign tumors. In some countries (not the United States), radiotherapy and chemotherapy are controlled by a single oncologist who is a "clinical oncologist". Radiation oncologists work closely with other physicians such as surgical oncologists, interventional radiologists, internal medicine subspecialists, and medical oncologists, as well as medical physicists and technicians as part of the multi-disciplinary cancer team. Radiotherapy training in India encompasses treatment of solid tumors in terms of Chemotherapy, radiation therapy and palliative care in most states. Postgraduate MD degree is awarded after 3 years of post-MBBS in-service comprehensive training and a final university level exam. MD Radiation oncology practitioners are the most proficient oncologists of India delivering radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The first Radiotherapy department of Asia was set up in 1910 at Calcutta Medical College in the state of West Bengal and is still a leading oncology training centre of India.
1. Don't use tobacco
Using any type of tobacco puts you on a collision course with cancer. Smoking has been linked to various types of cancer — including cancer of the lung, mouth, throat, larynx, pancreas, bladder, cervix and kidney. Chewing tobacco has been linked to cancer of the oral cavity and pancreas. Even if you don't use tobacco, exposure to secondhand smoke might increase your risk of lung cancer. Avoiding tobacco — or deciding to stop using it — is one of the most important health decisions you can make. It's also an important part of cancer prevention. If you need help quitting tobacco, ask your doctor about stop-smoking products and other strategies for quitting.
2. Eat a healthy diet
Although making healthy selections at the grocery store and at mealtime can't guarantee cancer prevention, it might help reduce your risk. Consider these guidelines: Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Base your diet on fruits, vegetables and other foods from plant sources — such as whole grains and beans. Avoid obesity. Eat lighter and leaner by choosing fewer high-calorie foods, including refined sugars and fat from animal sources. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so only in moderation. The risk of various types of cancer — including cancer of the breast, colon, lung, kidney and liver — increases with the amount of alcohol you drink and the length of time you've been drinking regularly. Limit processed meats. A report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the cancer agency of the World Health Organization, concluded that eating large amounts of processed meat can slightly increase the risk of certain types of cancer. In addition, women who eat a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil and mixed nuts might have a reduced risk of breast cancer. The Mediterranean diet focuses on mostly on plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts. People who follow the Mediterranean diet choose healthy fats, like olive oil, over butter and fish instead of red meat.
3. Maintain a healthy weight and be physically active
Maintaining a healthy weight might lower the risk of various types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, prostate, lung, colon and kidney. Physical activity counts, too. In addition to helping you control your weight, physical activity on its own might lower the risk of breast cancer and colon cancer. Adults who participate in any amount of physical activity gain some health benefits. But for substantial health benefits, strive to get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic physical activity. You can also do a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. As a general goal, include at least 30 minutes of physical activity in your daily routine — and if you can do more, even better.
4. Protect yourself from the sun
Skin cancer is one of the most common kinds of cancer — and one of the most preventable.
Try these tips:
Avoid midday sun. Stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun's rays are strongest. Stay in the shade. When you're outdoors, stay in the shade as much as possible. Sunglasses and a broad-brimmed hat help, too. Cover exposed areas. Wear tightly woven, loose fitting clothing that covers as much of your skin as possible. Opt for bright or dark colors, which reflect more ultraviolet radiation than pastels or bleached cotton. Don't skimp on sunscreen. Use generous amounts of sunscreen when you're outdoors, and reapply often. Avoid tanning beds and sunlamps. These are just as damaging as natural sunlight.
5. Get immunized
Cancer prevention includes protection from certain viral infections. Talk to your doctor about immunization against:
i] Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B can increase the risk of developing liver cancer. The hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for certain high-risk adults — such as adults who are sexually active but not in a mutually monogamous relationship, people with sexually transmitted infections, intravenous drug users, men who have sex with men, and health care or public safety workers who might be exposed to infected blood or body fluids
ii] Human papillomavirus (HPV)
HPV is a sexually transmitted virus that can lead to cervical and other genital cancers as well as squalors cell cancers of the head and neck. The HPV vaccine is recommended for girls and boys ages 11 and 12. It is also available to both men and women age 26 or younger who didn't have the vaccine as adolescents.
6. Avoid risky behaviors
Another effective cancer prevention tactic is to avoid risky behaviors that can lead to infections that, in turn, might increase the risk of cancer. For example:
i] Practice safe sex
Limit your number of sexual partners, and use a condom when you have sex. The more sexual partners you have in your lifetime, the more likely you are to contract a sexually transmitted infection — such as HIV or HPV. People who have HIV or AIDS have a higher risk of cancer of the anus, liver and lung. HPV is most often associated with cervical cancer, but it might also increase the risk of cancer of the anus, penis, throat, vulva and vagina.
ii] Don't share needles
Sharing needles with an infected drug user can lead to HIV, as well as hepatitis B and hepatitis C — which can increase the risk of liver cancer. If you're concerned about drug abuse or addiction, seek professional help.
7. Get regular medical care
Regular self-exams and screenings for various types of cancers — such as cancer of the skin, colon, cervix and breast — can increase your chances of discovering cancer early, when treatment is most likely to be successful. Ask your doctor about the best cancer screening schedule for you. Take cancer prevention into your own hands, starting today. The rewards will last a lifetime.
