Conventional Cancer Treatment
- Treatment with Chemotherapy
The working principle of this treatment is to poison or kill cells - cancer cells, controlling the growth of cancer cells and stop its growth so as not to spread or to reduce the symptoms caused by cancer. Chemotherapy is sometimes the first choice to treat cancer. Chemotherapy is a systematic, in contrast with radiation or surgery that is local, so chemotherapy can reach cancer cells that may have spread and spread to other parts of the body. Use of chemotherapy vary in each patient, sometimes as a primary treatment, in other cases made before or after surgery and radiation. The success rate of chemotherapy also varies depending on the type of cancer. Chemotherapy is usually done in hospitals, private clinics, doctor's office, operating room (although rarely done) and also at home (by the nurse, the patient himself, or other family members).
Side effects of chemotherapy is a decrease in the number of blood cells (will be back to normal about a week later), infection (characterized by fever, sore throat, burning sensation when urinating, chills and flushed the wound, swelling, and warmth), anemia, bleeding such as nosebleeds, hair loss, but sometimes there are complaints such as itching and dry skin, nausea and vomiting, dehydration and low blood pressure, constipation / constipation, diarrhea, nervous system disorders.
- Treatment with Radiation Therapy (Radiation)
Radiation therapy is usually done before or after surgery to shrink tumors. Radiation conducted in an attempt to destroy the networks that already have cancer.
Radiation side effects are nausea and vomiting, decreased white blood cell count, infection / inflammation, skin reactions such as sunburn, fatigue, pain in the mouth and throat, diarrhea and can cause baldness.
- Treatment with surgery
Surgery is the treatment of cancer of the oldest. Some cancers are often curable with surgery only if performed at an early stage.
- Treatment with combination therapy
For some cancers, the best treatment is a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Surgery or radiation to treat cancer, whose land is limited, whereas chemotherapy aimed at killing cancer cells that are beyond the reach of surgery or radiation. Sometimes radiation or chemotherapy before surgery to minimize the size of the tumor or after surgery to destroy remaining cancer cells that may remain.