Question

Explain any four therapies used in treatment of cancer.

Answer 1

Cancer treatment consists of combination of a number of therapies which are follows:

1. Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy comprises administration of certain anticancer drugs. The anticancer drugs check cell division by inhibiting DNA synthesis or are more toxic to cancerous cell than to normal cells. Chemotherapy may lead to hair loss or anaemia but both get corrected after the treatment is stopped.
2. Radiotherapy: It is used in addition to chemotherapy. In radiotherapy, the basic principle is to bombard the cancerous tissue or cells with the rays from radioactive materials. For treatment, the cancer tissue or cells are exposed to radiations from radioactive materials such as cobalt, iridium and iodine. The rays X- rays, gamma rays and charge particles are used to destroy the cancerous tissue or cells but cause minimum damage to the surrounding normal tissue or cells. 
3. Surgery: In surgery, the entire cancerous tissue or cells are removed surgically. It has limited utility. In certain cases, such as breast tumour or uterine tumour, surgery is most effective, but other treatments are also given to kill any cancerous cell that may have escaped in surgery.
4. Immunotherapy: Tumour cells have been shown to avoid detection and destruction by immune system. Therefore, the patients are given substances called biological response modifiers such as α-interferon which activates their immune system and helps in destroying the tumour.