CancerCancer Treatments That Aren’t Chemotherapy

When you mention cancer, one of the major words that will come to people’s minds is chemotherapy. However, chemotherapy is not always the treatment course cancer patients will take. Besides, nowadays, a cancer diagnosis will not always mean undergoing this process and suffering all the side effects that come with it. Most people, especially ladies, fear chemotherapy for its hair loss effects.

Fortunately, sometimes chemotherapy may take a back seat, allowing other forms of hyperthermia cancer treatment with milder side effects. Technology through advanced personalized care and new treatments have enabled oncologists to customize cancer treatment depending on the type of cancer. The cancer treatment options that are not chemotherapy include;

Surgery

Surgery is one of the best cancer treatments, and its effectiveness is usually high. However, this treatment cannot apply to patients suffering from blood cancers. Specialized cancer surgeons conduct the surgeries by attempting to eliminate most, if not all, of the solid cancerous tumor. Surgery is an effective treatment especially if you are in the early cancer stages and it has not spread to other body parts.

Although it depends on various factors like the tumor size, patients with stage I cancer will likely take this treatment. Also, surgery can treat cancer even if the tumor has spread further from its initial site. 

Targeted Therapies

Also referred to as precision medicine, physicians use these therapies to customize medications for specific cancer and patients. Typically, a blood sample or a tumor will be tested to identify the genetic profile of cancer, thus enabling oncologists to administer meds that target the cancer-causing genes. The medications administered in IV or pill form will either stop cancer from growing or destroy its cells completely. Targeted therapies can be utilized at any stage of cancer to keep cancer from growing, as a first treatment, or even when cancer returns.

Supportive Care

This care best complements standard treatment as it helps reduce emotional and physical stress related to cancer treatment. This care will include nutrition counseling to help manage weight during cancer treatment and acupuncture, which is best for pain relief. Also, it can include massage and psychotherapy, which help ease a patient’s stress and anxiety after a diagnosis. It might be overwhelming to comprehend this situation if you have recently been diagnosed with cancer. You can check out the holistic wellness center by Hearty Center for supportive care.

Active Surveillance

Also referred to as watchful waiting, active surveillance may be the best option for specific types of cancers. Usually, your physician will recommend this approach if the cancer is not growing at all or growing slowly at an early stage. For instance, oncologists will recommend watchful waiting for prostate cancer as it tends to develop very slowly. Blood tests will then monitor the patient’s symptoms and the prostate-specific antigen.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy involves a relatively new cancer treatment that utilizes meds to rev up the immune system of a cancer patient to fight the illness. These treatments can be used to treat various types of cancer. Also, it is an effective way of treating the challenging and most advanced cancers. Immunotherapy has opened up better options for people who fear losing their hair to chemotherapy.

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