Cancer can be
treated by surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy,
immunotherapy, monoclonal antibody therapy or other methods. The
choice of therapy depends upon the location and grade of the
tumor and the stage of the disease, as well as the general state
of the patient (performance status). A number of experimental
cancer treatments are also under development.
Complete removal of the cancer without damage to the rest of the
body is the goal of treatment. Sometimes this can be
accomplished by surgery, but the propensity of cancers to invade
adjacent tissue or to spread to distant sites by microscopic
metastasis often limits its effectiveness. The effectiveness of
chemotherapy is often limited by toxicity to other tissues in
the body. Radiation can also cause damage to normal tissue.
Because "cancer" refers to a class of diseases, it is unlikely
that there will ever be a single "cure for cancer" any more than
there will be a single treatment for all infectious diseases.
Treatment Surgery >>
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Cancer
Classification
1. Nomenclature
2. Adult cancers
3. Childhood cancers
Signs and symptoms
Diagnosis
1. Investigation
2. Biopsy
Treatment
1. Surgery
2. Radiation therapy
3. Chemotherapy
4. Targeted therapies
5. Immunotherapy
6. Hormonal therapy
7. Symptom control
8. Complementary and alternative
9. Treatment trials
Prognosis
1. Emotional impact
Causes
1. Chemical carcinogens
2. Ionizing radiation &
Infectious diseases
3. Hormonal imbalances
& Immune system dysfunction
4. Heredity & Other causes
Pathophysiology
1. Epigenetics
2. Oncogenes
3. Tumor suppressor genes
4. Cancer cell biology
4.1 Clonal evolution
4.2 Biological properties of cancer cells
Prevention
1. Modifiable ("lifestyle") risk factors
2. Diet
3. Vitamins
4. Chemoprevention
5. Genetic testing
6. Vaccination
7. Screening
Epidemiology
History
Research |
