Surgical oncology, radiation oncology and chemotherapy are the major treatment mechanisms for removing atypical cell growth.
Surgery
This is the treatment of cancer by the surgical removal of the cancerous tumor itself but it is only effective if the tumor is of a small enough size that it can be cut out without leaving residual masses at the site. There are limitations if the tumors have metastasized throughout the body and the effectiveness of surgery is reduced considerably.
Surgery is rendered impractical if the tumor was not detected early and has grown to a large size. It may be a problem if the surgery would cause disfiguration or the cancer growth involves adjacent organs which cannot be removed without making the patient nonfunctional. For example, if the tumor has grown through major blood vessels, its safe removal might be considered impossible or harmful to the patient.
Sometimes a tumor might be only partially removed in an effort to decrease its bulk size and mass. The partial removal of a tumor is called surgical debunking. If it is deemed too risky to attempt any kind of surgical procedure, chemotherapy or radiation therapy might provide a viable alternative to reducing the size of the tumor before attempting surgery.
But if the cancer has metastasized throughout the body, surgery is an impractical solution. A better remedy might be to use either chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.
Radiation Therapy
The theory here is that if radiation can cause cancer then it might be useful in curing cancer. Radiation oncology uses ionizing radiation which can lead to direct cell-mutation reversals at times and it can halt dividing cells from reproducing. Those cells are the most susceptible to radiation because their genetic makeup is multiplied every time they go through mitotic cell reproduction. The radiation breaks up the chromosomes and causes the cells to die. Large tumors can be reduced in size or sometimes totally eradicated by radiation given in small doses over a long period of time.
High doses of radiation cause the water molecules in the cells to form peroxides which can cause cell membranes to lyse or break open as well as causing other types of cellular damage leading to cellular death. Radiation is most effective on cells that have a fast growth and reproduction rate and it's toxic to normal cells that have a fast growth rate such as sperm cells, blood cells, and gastrointestinal (GI) tract lining.
Chemotherapy
The word "chemotherapy" is a designation used to describe any disease treatment that uses drugs, but it usually refers to cancer chemotherapy. The treatment plans are designed to disrupt the cellular functions of the tumor cell growth with a minimal amount of interruption on normal cell function and growth.
Some chemotherapy plans use drugs that have toxic effects on different organ systems. If only a single drug is used for a tumor, the effective dose might be too great for the patient to tolerate. A combination of several effective drugs with different toxicities that are lower than if given alone in higher doses makes the treatment more acceptable for the patient.
By the same principle observed when bacteria mutate and become resistant to certain antibiotics, tumor cells tend to become resistant to single-agent chemotherapy. Therefore, different combinations of drugs may be used in the treatment.
The best method is to provide enough chemotherapy to kill the tumor without killing the patient. It's the same principle used in worming horses, dogs and cats. The pet owner wants to provide enough poison to kill the parasitic worms without killing the animal. Too much wormer might make the animal sick, which is not a preferred solution, but the alternate of killing both the worms and the pet is not acceptable so a smaller dose is required. Sometimes drugs are included in the chemotherapy treatment to counteract the toxic effects of another drug. This works as an antidote to kill the tumor cells yet protect the patient from lethal toxicity.
The Best Treatment
The use of one or more treatment methods can improve the chances of a cure or at least a long-term remission. This is referred to as a combined-modality treatment. Many treatments for breast, colon, and lung cancer now require at least two of the three treatment methods.
In cancers that are not localized in any particular organ but are spread throughout the body such as leukemia and lymphoma, chemotherapy is sometimes the only option. Radiation is practical only in localized areas of the body. Irradiating the entire body to cure a widespread cancer involves a toxicity that would prove fatal to the patient. In these cases, chemotherapy is the treatment of choice because it can be provided in the least toxic dosages yet gaining the greatest overall effect.
Additional List of Sources:Timothy F. Meiller, D.D.S., Ph.D. CancerPenn Foster. 2008. Scranton, PA
www.en.scientificcommons.org/timothy_f_meiller
www.biomedexperts.com/concept.bme/14585/neoplasms
www.mayoclinic.com/health/housecall/housecalls&insecure=1&unsecure
