Types of Cancer Treatment
There are at least 7 common types of cancer treatment (see below). Certain cancer treatments like chemotherapy or surgery are very common. Others like stem cell therapy are infrequently used.
Cancer is a often deadly disease and very difficult to treat (we recommend our viewers to read this article before continuing). There are several common types of cancer treatment, often used in combination with each other. For example, a patient may undergo chemotherapy and targeted therapy simultaneously.
As each cancer is unique there is no set formula of which treatment is better. Even if two individuals who suffers from the same type of cancer may need different treatments.
In India, not all treatment options are available as compared to the western world.
Types of Cancer Treatment
Chemotherapy
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- Chemotherapy or chemo is widely used for cancer care in India and globally as well. The basic principle is that chemo kills cancer cells and healthy cells at a specific location in the body. Chemotherapy can be thought of as a poison, which keeps the cells from dividing, preventing cancer cells from reproducing. The biggest drawback of chemo are adverse effects.
- Usage in India: extremely common.
- Availability: nearly all types of chemo are widely available in India.
Surgery
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- Surgery is another very commonly used method for dealing with cancer. It simply involves cutting out the parts of the body with cancer. Cancer surgery is routine for many cancer types (breast, prostate) but may be difficult for others (brain, heart).
- Usage in India: extremely common.
- Availability: nearly every large Indian cancer hospital will have a department for surgery. Leading private hospitals often also have robotics or other advanced surgical equipment.
Radiation Therapy
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- Radiation or radiotherapy is often used in combination with other treatments, especially surgery. It is used to destroy all cancer and healthy cells in a certain area in the body. Radiotherapy is commonly used for certain cancer types including leukemia and lymphomas but not available for other cancer types. Radiotherapy does not work for metastatic cancers as it’s not typically possible to give radiation to different parts of the body at the same time.
- Usage in India: extremely common.
- Availability: Nearly every large India cancer hospital will have radiation therapy equipment.
Targeted Therapy
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- Targeted therapies try to target specific gene mutation(s) which are driving the cancer. By targeting specifically cancer cells and not healthy cells (as with the options listed above), targeted therapies aim to reduce unwanted effects. Targeted therapies vary greatly by cancer type and stage.
- Usage in India: common but price for many targeted therapies can be expensive, decreasing usage.
- Availability: Many targeted therapies are not available in India, including several popular options in the western world. However, the common therapies available (for example Gefitinib for non-small cell lung cancer) is readily available.
Hormone Therapy
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- Hormone therapy is typically used cancers which are linked with hormones, such as breast in women and prostate in men. Hormone therapies are very rarely used in cancers which do not affect the hormones.
- Unlike most of the options in our list of types of cancer treatments, hormone therapy is one of the few options that can be used for years at a stretch. Hormone therapy can be given as maintenance therapy to prevent the patient from getting worse.
- Usage in India: common.
- Availability: almost all or all hormonal therapies should be readily available.
Stem Cell Therapy
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- Stem cell therapy is limited to a few cancer types and is usually given when a bone marrow transplant is required.
- Often used after chemotherapy or radiation therapy weakens the bones, requiring a transplant.
- Stem cells may be taken for the patient or from another individual.
- Usage in India: limited by cost and cancer type due to which stem cell therapy is not used too frequently.
- Availability: check with your hospital. Not available at every major cancer hospital.
Immunotherapy
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- Immunotherapy is the most recent addition to the types of cancer treatment in India. It works by training the bodies immune system, which ignores cancer to recognize cancer cells as harmful and attack them. Currently about 20% of patients will respond to immunotherapy, which is in line with many targeted therapies.
- Usage in India: rare due to high cost (immunotherapy in India is often the most expensive treatment option) and less education among doctors and patients.
- Availability: Few immunotherapy options are available in India compared to the west.
References:
- https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/treatment-types/chemotherapy/how-is-chemotherapy-used-to-treat-cancer.html
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/chemotherapy/about/pac-20385033
- https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/targeted-therapies
- https://www.nccn.org/patients/resources/life_with_cancer/treatment/targeted_therapy.aspx
- https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/surgery
- https://www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/how-cancer-treated/surgery/what-cancer-surgery
- https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-treatments/c/cancer-surgery/types.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_therapy
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/radiation-therapy/about/pac-20385162
- https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/hormone-therapy
- https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancer-in-general/treatment/hormone-therapy
- https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/treatment-types/stem-cell-transplant.html
- https://www.cancer.net/navigating-cancer-care/how-cancer-treated/bone-marrowstem-cell-transplantation/what-bone-marrow-transplant-stem-cell-transplant
- https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/treatment-types/immunotherapy/what-is-immunotherapy.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer_immunotherapy
