Cancer Treatments and Breakthroughs
Cancer is not a single disease. It includes a large group of varied disorders that share major traits. The first sign of cancer is an enlargement of the area. The tumor then infects other cells near it, and if it's really advanced, these cells may break away from the tumor and spread the cancer throughout your body. Although many people believe that your survival rate is low if you're diagnosed with cancer, patients usually have high recovery rates. There are many different types of treatment that doctors can give to their patients. The three main types are surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Surgery is quick, usually effective, and it accounts for the most cures. Many doctors must operate on their patients, but this treatment has several downsides. Just because a doctor has taken out the main tumor doesn't mean that the cancer cells are completely gone. They're too small to see, so doctors can't tell if they have taken it all out or not. So, just to be sure, doctors usually take out a lot of the healthy tissue surrounding the area. This could damage the person's system and their appearance. Also, cancer sometimes forms around structures that can't be taken out, like an organ. In these cases, surgery alone is basically useless.
Based on my findings, I can see that there are MANY ways of treating cancer, and it's not the huge monster that many people think it is. Although I've described a few ways of treating cancer and a few of the breathroughs, it is necessary to understand that everyday, hundreds of discoveries are being made, and there are many more ways of treating this disease. The most surprising fact that I learned was how incredibly close we are to finding a cure for cancer. If scientists can already cure cancer in mice, I think that within 10 years, we will have a cure for humans. I think that the most important fact that I learned was that there is a very high chance of surviving cancer. But, it must be caught early in order for a high chance of survival. Many people tend to think that cancer automatically means that you'll die from it. But, this is not true at all. Most people survive and go back to their normal lives. I also think that knowing what options you have is VERY important. By describing some of the common treatments, you can understand how each one would help and hurt you. Although cancer was once feared by everyone, we are closer than ever to better drug delivery systems for this disease, and hopefully, a cure. Radiation therapy is another option, and many doctors prefer this in many cases. When a patient receives radiation therapy, gamma rays are sent in to treat the region that the tumor is in. Patients usually receive five to eight weeks of treatments every day, but they don't have to stay in the hospital. Radiation works because when the high amount of rays treat the tumor, it will cause enough damage to the cells to kill them. Radiation does damage the healthy tissue, but they can recover easily. So, radiation therapy can kill the cancerous tissue, while the healthy tissue can still function. It can destroy microscopic tissue that surgery could miss, and it's safer for older patients that could have trouble recovering. Although radiation therapy sounds like a good idea, it has some negative points. It sometimes doesn't treat all of the cells that are damaged. Also, just like surgery, it is useless if the cancer has already spread because it would damage vital organs. Another major treatment is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy involves the mixing of drugs to give to a patient. These dru
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Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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