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Hello and welcome to HealthiNation, I'm Malachy Cleary. When you or a loved one is
faced with cancer, you may ask...what's next? Though very effective, cancer treatment
does not begin and end with radiation or chemotherapy....there are a lot of options to help you fight. With
the right information, a positive attitude, and the support of your doctor, friends and
family...you'll be ready. In this segment, we'll share those options and talk about
why there is hope in the battle against cancer. Here's Dr. Holly Atkinson to explain how
cancer develops and to talk about the some of the most common therapies.
The word cancer refers to a large number of diseases characterized by abnormal cell growth
that threatens to overwhelm healthy body tissue. Normal, healthy cells grow, die and are replaced
on a very specific cycle. Cancer cells, on the other hand, don't know how to die...and
multiply uncontrollably until a mass of cells...or a tumor...develops.
The first step in developing a cancer treatment plan is called staging. Perhaps you've heard
the phrases "Stage 1" or "Stage 4". Staging is the medical process whereby your
doctor determines how much cancer there is, if it has spread, and if so, where it is in
the body. Your doctor might perform imaging tests such as x-rays, CT scans, and MRI scans.
Often the tumor is biopsied, meaning a small piece of it is removed and the cells are examined
under a microscope.
A fine needle aspiration biopsy allows the surgeon to withdraw a small amount of tissue
from a tumor with a very fine needle attached to a syringe.
During an excisional biopsy, a surgeon cuts through the skin to remove the entire tumor.
During an incisional biopsy, small parts of large tumors are removed. Both can be performed
under local anesthesia, which numbs only the area around the biopsy. The recovery process
will depend on the type of surgery you have, and whether or not you need additional treatment.
As we go through the most common cancer treatments, as well as some very promising research, you
may want to hit pause and take notes. Keep in mind that side effects vary so much from
person to person, and from treatment to treatment, and that they're not a sign of whether or
not the therapy is working.
Surgery is the oldest treatment for cancer. It's often the best cure for cancers that
haven't spread, or metastasized. Preventative...or prophylactic...surgery is done to remove tissues
like polyps and cysts that aren't cancerous but contain abnormal cells and have the potential
to become cancerous. Palliative surgery is used to treat pain in advanced forms of cancer.
Laser surgery involves using a highly focused and powerful beam of light. It's more precise
than standard surgical tools like scalpels and does less damage to normal tissues. So,
there's usually less pain, bleeding, swelling, and scarring after the surgery. Also, laser
surgery operations are usually shorter and can even be done on an outpatient basis. The
effects of laser therapy may not last long, and it may have to be repeated.