Cancer is the second most common cause of death worldwide. Cancer often causes death, because this disease generally does not cause symptoms at the beginning of its development. As a result, this condition is only detected and treated after it reaches an advanced stage.
What is cancer ? It is a disease caused by the growth of tissue in the patient's body which is malignant and uncontrolled so that it disturbs the patient's body and can lead to disability or even death. Cancer generally appears in the form of lumps, but not all lumps are cancer, even some blood cancers can occur. there are no lumps at all until now the cause of cancer is not known for certain but it is known that some cancers can be prevented with vaccination and screening programs or early detection so to prevent ourselves from cancer we must maintain a healthy lifestyle with adequate rest, be diligent exercise, and eat a balanced diet as well as follow the existing vaccination program and diligently follow screening and early detection if you meet the requirements.
Get regular screening and check-ups with your doctor if you have risk factors for cancer, for example having a family member who has had cancer, or frequently changing sexual partners without using a condom.
You also need to see a doctor if you experience symptoms of cancer, such as lumps appearing on your body, drastic weight loss, or a chronic cough. Early detection of cancer can increase the success of treatment.
Patients whose cancer cannot be cured also need to consult a doctor. Doctors can provide treatment to slow the progress of cancer and relieve complaints. This treatment is called palliative treatment.
Commonly used cancer treatment methods are as follows:
- Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is done by giving drugs to kill cancer cells.
- Operation
Cancer surgery is performed by cutting and removing cancer tissue.
- Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is carried out by exposing radiation rays to kill cancer cells. There are two types of radiotherapy, namely radiation from a machine outside the body (external radiotherapy) or radiation from an implant placed inside the body (brachytherapy).
- Bone marrow transplant
Through this procedure, the patient's bone marrow will be replaced with new bone marrow from a donor so that it can produce new cells that are normal and cancer-free.
- Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy or biological therapy aims to activate the patient's immune system to fight cancer.
- Hormone therapy
Some types of cancer, such as breast cancer and prostate cancer, are triggered by hormones. Therefore, inhibiting these trigger hormones can stop the growth of cancer cells.
- Targeted drug therapy
Targeted therapy is carried out by administering drugs that can inhibit genetic mutations in cells.
This article was written by dr. Dwi Wahyunianto, Sp.PD-KHOM (Specialist in Hematology, Medical Oncology)