pathoscribe

Written by Kirsten Batitay | Art by Anoushka Pandya

In the medical field, cancer has been a prevailing concern for centuries, but remarkable treatments have been made for it. Among these treatments, a few of the most common and notable include chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy.

Chemotherapy is a commonly known cancer treatment in popular media, usually represented by characters who can be seen having lost copious amounts of hair. It works through drugs that stop or slow the growth of cancer cells or tumors, boost the effects of other treatments, or kill recurring or metastasized cancer cells. These treatments are most commonly given using an IV placed in a vein on the hand or lower arm. But not only does chemotherapy kill cancer cells, it also kills or slows the growth of healthy cells like those lining the mouth and intestines and those that cause hair growth.

Along with chemotherapy, surgery is used to remove cancer from the body, which works best for solid tumors in one area. It can be used to remove or debulk a tumor. When removing it in its entirety, it might cause damage to an organ. To remove said tumors, an open surgery or minimally invasive surgery can be conducted. An open surgery involves making one large cut to remove the cancer along with some healthy tissue and perhaps nearby lymph nodes. On the other hand, minimally invasive surgery requires making a few small cuts to remove the tumors plus some healthy tissue.

Another common cancer treatment is radiation therapy, which uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells or shrink tumors by damaging their DNA. By damaging their DNA, cancer cells eventually die, are broken down, and are removed by the body, meaning that this treatment takes a while to become effective. For this treatment, one can undergo either external beam radiation therapy or internal radiation therapy. External beam radiation therapy is when a machine aims radiation at one’s cancer, and internal radiation therapy is when a source of radiation is put inside one’s body. When a source of radiation is placed inside the body, it can be solid, in this case, it is called brachytherapy and is placed in or near the tumor, or liquid, which is called systemic therapy and travels in the blood to kill cancer cells. These liquid treatments are swallowed, taken in through an IV, or received via an injection.

Lastly, a type of biological therapy and precision medicine called immunotherapy helps the immune system fight cancer. The normal function of the immune system is to detect and destroy abnormal cells, meaning it checks cancer growth, but cancer cells manage to avoid destruction by the immune system. This is because some may have genetic changes obscuring them from the immune system or have proteins on their surface turning off immune cells. Some types of immunotherapy that help to counteract these include immune checkpoint inhibitors and T-cell transfer therapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors block immune checkpoints, allowing immune cells a stronger response to cancer. T-cell transfer therapy is when immune cells found in one’s tumor are taken out, and the cells most active in fighting the cancer are selected or modified in a lab, grown in big batches, and re-enter one’s body through a needle in a vein.

These four treatments are but a few used in clinics and hospitals to treat cancer patients and a small drop in a large ocean of countless research projects and trials, which is why even while they continue to get tested, we can already be of help to those who might have cancer, which can include assisting them with traveling, daily errands, and the like, especially because even small gestures can be a great help to those who are struggling.

Works Cited:

“Chemotherapy to Treat Cancer.” National Cancer Institute, http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/chemotherapy. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
“Immunotherapy for Cancer.” National Cancer Institute, http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/immunotherapy. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
“Radiation Therapy for Cancer.” National Cancer Institute, http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/radiation-therapy. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
“Surgery for Cancer.” National Cancer Institute, http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/surgery. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.