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cancer with the help of gene chips and mass spectrometry.

It studies how the proteins and gene interrelate in the cell. It also

shows the gene and protein activity on various precancerous and

cancerous cell. It monitors and captures the changes and the

expression patterns.

For example, prostate-specific antigen or PSA is a chemical that

normal prostate cells secrete into the bloodstream. However, in

prostate cells that have become cancerous, the secretion is

abnormally large.

It is not always that high PSA is the indication for cancer, because

men with high PSA level may not have cancer and some men have

prostate cancer but may not have high-level of PSA.

Generally, molecular diagnostics with techniques such as tissue

samples and imaging, specifically contribute towards a diagnosis

whether a person has cancer or not.

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Prognosis of Cancer

Cancer is a life-threatening disease and the patient always

wants to know their chance of recovery and survival, so that they

can plan their future.

Some patients have a fear of statistics while others want as much

information as possible about their disease. A prognosis of cancer is

a forecast about the patient’s chances of recovery, the time taken

for recovery, the probability of recurrence of the cancer and the

survival rate for that particular type of cancer.

Based on the forecast, the patient can plan his life, financial

situation and mentally prepare himself and his family for the battle

ahead.

Cancer prediction depends on several factors like the kind of cancer

and the affected part of the body. Other issues are the stage of the

cancer, appearance of the cancer cells and the chance of its

spreading to other parts of the body. Some features are specific to a

patient, like his health, age, family history, and reaction to the

current treatment.

The doctor supports his prediction after considering the above

factors and compares them with statistical data available for the

particular type of cancer over several thousand patients.

For greater accuracy, the doctor references a database similar to

the patient’s condition. However, each patient is different and a

prognosis is only an indicator of things to come. It may or may not

be fully accurate. It can change with time depending on the

patient’s condition.

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Statistical Survival Rate

A major part of the forecast is the patient’s chance of survival,

based on a five-year data of similar patients. This rate indicates the

number of people who live for five years after the diagnosis of

cancer. Survival rates for whites are higher than for African-

Americans while, on average, only half the people with cancer

survive.

More than sixty percent of children with cancer manage to survive.

It also takes in to account their health, the status of cancer and

their treatment. A prognosis is useful as it helps review the

treatment and its modification for the benefit of the patient.

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Treatment Options for Cancer

There is no single treatment option for cancer. Cancer treatment

usually involves a combination of treatments to achieve the best

possible level of cure and relief.

Doctors consider various factors like the stage of cancer, your

lifestyle, age and endurance levels before starting with any

treatment option.

Normally, doctors discuss all possible treatment options and their

side effects with you beforehand. This helps you prepare for any

eventualities.

Have a frank discussion with your physician before starting with any

cancer treatment option. All such treatments are able to increase

survival rates of cancer patients.

Cancer, most commonly, causes a total lack of appetite. Bit, you

should try to eat normal amounts of the important food groups to

support the effects of cancer treatments.

Some cancer treatments may also reduce your appetite. Cancer and

its treatments affect your taste buds and you may not find the usual

taste in your favorite foods. You may develop new tastes too.

Although there is no restriction on the type of food intake, it is

essential to eat proper food; you may drink nutritional supplements

to help maintain necessary level of nutrition in your body (consult

your doctor first).

In extreme cases, if it is not possible to eat by yourself, doctors will

insert feeding tubes to provide you adequate nutrition.

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Cancer Treatment Options

Important cancer treatment options include:

• Surgery

• Chemotherapy

• Radiotherapy

• Hormone therapy

• Gene therapy

• Immunotherapy

• Surgery

Surgery

For a very long time, surgery was the only treatment option for any

type of cancer. It was essential to remove cancerous growth

surgically from body. However, with advancement of science, other

options are being used in preference where practicable.

Cancer surgery or surgical oncology can bring in successful

results for treating cancer of voice box, breast, stomach, and food

pipe. This technique involves removing affected part with overlying

skin and muscle. One common technique is radical mastectomy.

Cancer surgery also involves removal of lymph nodes surrounding

the affected organ. This is regional lymphadenectomy. This

surgery minimizes recurrence of tumors and cancers of breast,

bowel, and stomach.

After surgery, therapies like adjuvant and neo-adjuvant help kill any

cancerous cells that could have escaped detection during surgery.

Recent advances like MRI, ultrasound, and CT scanning help

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surgeons understand size of tumor and spread of disease before

start of surgery. Keyhole surgery is helping surgeons to carry out

successful operations without making huge incisions.

Doctors suggest chemotherapy and radiotherapy as follow-up

treatments after cancer surgery. However, you can start these

therapies only after giving sufficient time for your body to heal from

cancer surgery.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy involves killing cancerous cells with chemicals that

disrupt cell division. Chemicals used in chemotherapy either damage

the proteins that help cell division or damage the cancer cells’ DNA

itself. Cancerous cells normally multiply very fast and at a higher

rate than normal cells. However, certain specific cells in your body

like those of hair follicles, immune system and bone marrow cells

multiply at a higher rate than other body cells. Chemotherapy drugs

may also harm these cells.

So, common side effects of these treatments are hair loss, nausea,

and vomiting. Different drugs in chemotherapy have different

effects on cancerous cells. Doctors either inject these drugs

intravenously or prescribe pills. Doctors use a combination of

different chemotherapy drugs for the best treatment.

Radiotherapy

This treatment involves the use of high-energy rays to kill cancerous

growth. These rays destruct cell components and shrink it. Break-up

of the cells may lead to formation of free radicals, which might

cause further destruction to the inner parts of affected cells.

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Radiologists use high-energy gamma rays, from metals like radium,

or use special machines that heat metallic elements to produce

electrons. Such electrons react with tungsten metal within an

electric field and emit similar high-energy rays. Recent

advancements in science have been able to develop targeted beams

that do not cause harm to neighboring normal tissues.

CT scanning helps radiologists determine exact shape and size of a

tumor. This can help to reduce side-effects drastically. A very recent

form of radiotherapy involves implanting tiny radioactive metal rods

around the tumor. Metals used include iridium and cesium. In

addition to being an effective cancer treatment option, radiotherapy

may prove beneficial to curb recurrent cancer, shrink cancerous

growth before surgery, control cancerous symptoms in advanced

stages of cancer and complement chemotherapy cancer treatment

too.

Hormone Therapy

Different hormones in your body may aid cancerous growth.

Estrogen helps certain types of breast cancer cells to grow rapidly.

This type of hormone therapy targets hormone system of your body

to help kill cancerous cells and arrest their further growth and

spread.

Estrogen-blocker tamoxifen is believed to be one of the most

effective, currently available hormone therapy treatments for breast

cancer.

Diethylstilboestrol can control some instances of prostate cancer.

Cortisone may be beneficial for leukemia and lymphomas.

Lowering testosterone in the body may help to fight prostate cancer.

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Gene Therapy

Cancer often occurs due to damaged DNA. Gene therapy involves

setting right that damage to your genes to help you fight cancer.

Renewing your genes may be possible by either blocking cancer-

promoting action of certain proteins of damaged DNA or further

damaging DNA of cancerous cells so that they soon die off.

Scientists are still researching into various possibilities of the use of

gene therapy to help fight cancer.

In some cases, they inject special gene into cancerous cells that

make a new enzyme. This can help fight cancerous growth within

the cells.

Immunotherapy

Boosting your immune system can help your body fight against

cancer. Immunotherapy functions as a cancer treatment option on

this basis. Immunotherapy can be local or systemic.

Local therapy involves injecting vaccine into the affected part.

Systemic therapy targets the body’s entire immune system and

helps to control the spread of cancer in any part of the body.

Other Cancer Treatments

These include laser treatments, cryosurgery and hyperthermia.

Cryosurgery:

This is beneficial in treating liver cancer or tumors. It freezes tumor

masses and can kill them.

Laser treatment:

This is beneficial for treating cancers on the body’s surface or at

places which you can reach through an Endoscope.

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Hyperthermia:

This involves direct application of heat to the cancer-affected part.

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Cancer – Complementary

and Alternative Therapies

Conventional medicine cannot cure all types of cancer at this time.

Some patients respond well to alternative and complementary

systems of medicine. These therapies may take a long time to work,

but supporters claim that they are safe and have no side effects.

Not everyone agrees and you must consult your doctor or other

qualified medical professional before trying any such treatment or

regimen.

Critics argue that they have no scientific basis. But, there are many

people that believe some particular treatment helped them with

their cancer.

Complementary therapies are used alongside conventional

treatment while alternative treatment refers just to the use of

natural products.

These therapies can be classified into different types based on their

origin.

Complementary Systems of Treatment

Acupuncture:

Acupuncture may help to control vomiting and in the management

of acute pain in cancer patients, by suppressing the pain centers of

the brain.

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Aromatherapy:

This treatment involves inhaling natural floral scents in the form of

oils. It may help to relieve depression and aid tension release by

inducing a sense of well-being.

Hypnosis:

This may help cancer patients fight the chronic pain.

Massage:

It helps to relieve the tension from the muscles and induces

relaxation in the body.

Diet Modification:

Consuming a vegetable and fruit based diet may help to reduce the

incidence of prostate cancer among men.

Raw foods contain enzymes that help in better digestion and

absorption of food, and antioxidants that some claim help to fight

cancer.

Go for natural fresh foods, rather than unproven food supplements

for best results.

Different Types of Diets:

Consuming a macrobiotic diet, comprising whole grain, nuts, and

fiber-rich foods, may lower the risk of cancer but eat the

recommended quantities of the vegetables for best results.

Some therapists recommend eating vitamin A, C, and E

supplements in large quantities to fight cancer.

Herbal Tea:

Drinking herbal tea made from fresh herbs like rhubarb may help to

reduce swelling, and is claimed to have antioxidant properties.

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Plant Derivatives:

Injections of amygdaline, derived from lima beans, are claimed by

some people to kill cancer, but it has cyanide that can kill the

patient.

Plant based treatments:

Compounds derived from plants like the Yew tree may help in the

treatment of some cancers.

Derivatives of mistletoe, used with chemotherapy, may help to

reduce tumors.

Detoxification:

This involves consuming large quantities of liquid and vegetables to

cleanse the body of toxins. Some processes involve the use of

coffee or enzymes for detoxification. This cleansing is claimed to

stimulate the body’s immune system and to help fight cancer.

However, this sort of regimen can lead to infections and electrolyte

disparity.

Anti-Cancer Compounds:

Several plant and animal-based substances are claimed by some

people to inhibit or even cure cancer. But, none of the products

have been supported by independent scientific blind testing.

The origin and manufacturing processes used in preparing these

products may be less than safe.

If you decide to undergo alternative therapies, consult a doctor first

and always only put yourself in the care of qualified and experienced

practitioners. An untrained therapist can ruin your health and cause

unnecessary complications.

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Always take your doctor in to confidence before you opt for these

treatments. He can help you in case of any problems in the future

and help avoid conflicting treatments that interfere with your

conventional treatment.

Study all aspects of the treatment its duration, costs, and side

effects if any, before you start.

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Part-VI: Prevention and Coping with Cancer

How to Prevent Cancer

Continuing research has made it theoretically possible to prevent

or minimize the risk of several types of cancers among men and

women.

At least, we can reduce the risk by avoiding causative factors, going

for regular checkups (especially important if you have a genetic

predisposition to certain types of cancer), eating a high fiber diet

and adopting a healthy, active lifestyle.

Keep away from smoking, as it is a definite cause of lung cancer.

Undergoing a regular PAP smear has greatly reduced the incidence

of cervical cancer among women.

It is also possible to reduce cancer by surgical removal of the

cancerous tissue so that it does not spread to other parts of the

body.

Prophylactic screening for colon cancer can help in early detection

and removal of malignant tissue.

Extensive studies by scientists reveal that reducing alcohol

consumption may reduce the risk of getting cancer of the mouth,

esophagus and some other types.

Maintaining a near optimum body weight may reduce the risk of

getting colon and breast cancers among both men and women.

If possible, avoid work environments that contain chemicals and

radiations that cause cancer. Workers in these surroundings must

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have regular cancer screenings and take appropriate steps to

minimize exposure to known carcinogens.

People with risky sexual behavior may get certain types of cancer.

Some studies indicate that hormone replacement therapy may bring

a higher risk of some cancers but other studies give different

indications.

Some viral infections like HPV may be linked to cervical cancer, and

H pylori to cancer of the stomach. So, people with these viral

infections should consult their doctor.

Consuming green vegetables and fruits is believed by some to

reduce the risk of cancer because some substances in them may be

natural cancer preventing agents that strengthen the body’s

immune system.

There is hope for people prone to get cancer, with the increasing

availability of better medical techniques and effective medicines to

fight cancer.

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Action Plan for Coping with a Cancer Diagnosis

A cancer diagnosis can leave you and your family feeling helpless.

It may seem like it is the end of the road.

Dealing with cancer requires great mental strength on part of the

patient and his immediate family.

Fighting cancer is as much a battle of the mind as the body.

Inform Yourself:

First, knowledge is power. So, arm yourself with all available

sources of information on cancer, its treatment, costs and the side

effects of every treatment.

Choose the Right Doctor:

Engage a good cancer specialist, one that is recommended by your

hospital or a referral from someone who you know.

Prepare a list of questions for your first meeting with the specialist.

Go with a family member or friend who can guide you and help ask

the difficult questions.

A medical consultation is the time to explore the options and make

decisions on the possible courses of treatment. This requires

rational thought and a proper cost-benefit analysis.

Do not take hasty decisions.

Communicate with Your Family:

Take your friends and co-workers into

your confidence and try to dispel all

doubts from their minds.

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Your attitude will determine their behavior towards you.

Expect sympathy and some doubts regarding your efficiency in the

workplace, given your medical condition.

Do not hesitate to accept the help of friends and co-workers as

cancer treatment can drain you physically and emotionally.

Try Innovative Approaches to Treatment:

Weigh the options and your degree of comfort dealing with, say, a

conservative doctor with a fixed approach and a doctor willing to try

new alternatives for cancer treatment.

Ask the doctor about the type of cancer, the stage of the disease

and the chances of survival.

Enquire about all treatment options, the cost of treatment, the

length of treatment, and the side effects of treatment.

You may want to know the chances of the cancer spreading to other

parts of the body or to members of your family.

Be Optimistic:

Maintain a positive attitude in the face of hardship, as there will be