Mumbai: World Cancer Day is observed on February 4 every year. It is celebrated to spread awareness about the deadly disease.
Cancer is a large group of diseases that can affect any organ or tissue of the body. It refers to the abnormal growth of cells that divide uncontrollably. The treatments for this disease include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, surgery, hormonal therapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy.
Chemotherapy:
Chemotherapy involves administering medications intravenously or orally. This is done to circulate the medicine throughout the body, thereby targeting cancer cells. This is also called systemic treatment because it can reach cancer cells locally and at distant sites.
Chemotherapy is typically given in cycles (e.g., a dose repeated every two weeks shall be a two-weekly cycle). A particular regime of chemotherapy can last for 2-6 cycles. A typical infusion cycle of chemotherapy can be a single drug or a combination of drugs.
Chemotherapy can cause side effects such as hair loss, nausea, and fatigue to varying extent.
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Radiation Therapy:
Radiation treatment works by damaging the DNA of cancer cells. Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays or particles carefully targeted at the tumor or other sites at risk. It is a targeted, localized procedure that primarily targets the region of the body where the radiation is administered.
Radiation therapy is usually given daily (except on weekends). Typical schedules of radiation vary from 3-6 weeks. However, SRS (stereotactic radiosurgery) and SBRT (stereotactic body radiotherapy) can complete the entire treatment in 1 to 7 days.
Radiation therapy is often used to treat localized cancers curatively and can also be used to shrink tumors before surgery. It is also used after surgery in many cases.
The side effects include skin irritation, fatigue, and changes in skin color.
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