The latest treatments for cancer in India by reputed oncologists raise the chance of survival
What is cancer?
With the terms cancer, doctors refer to a pathological condition characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of cells that have the ability to infiltrate the healthy organs and tissues of the organism, altering its structure and functioning.
Cancer also has the ability to localize away from the primary site and grow in other places or metastasize.
What are the causes of Cancer?
All living beings are formed by structural units called cells. At any time, from some tissue in our body, we need to have new cells that replace those that are lost or added to existing ones. The cells multiply giving rise to daughter cells. This also happens in adults, where the organism is already completely formed. Normally, the speed of cell multiplication depends on the needs of our body.
Usually, in all these cases, the production of new cells is ordered and strictly controlled, so as to maintain the normal structure of the organism and its functioning.
The new cells are formed through the division into two parts of the “mother” cell – a process called cell division or mitosis. Usually, the two daughter cells are exact copies of the cell from which they derive, and contain a genetic code identical to that of the mother cell (DNA).
This is essential for the daughter cell to perform the same functions as the mother cell. Only rarely does the genetic makeup of the cell change (mutation) and and this modification can have repercussions on the structure and function of the cell itself. Among the effects that a mutation can have, there may be that of transforming a normal cell into a cancer cell. This, multiplying uncontrollably, can form tumor tissue.
Cancer can, therefore, be defined as a neoplastic disease where both genetic mutations and environmental factors play a defining role.
What are the symptoms of cancer?
Each type of tumor obviously has its own specific symptoms in the opinion of the best cancer doctor in India. In any case, some symptoms, especially if present simultaneously, may indicate the presence of an oncological pathology –
- Persistent fatigue
- Nodules or thickening under the skin
- Weight changes without apparent motivation
- Changes in the skin like yellow, dark or red complexion, persistent inflammation, evolution in the appearance of existing moles
- Variations in the functioning of intestine and bladder
- Persistent cough
- Difficulty swallowing
- Hoarseness
- Persistent digestive problems
- Persistent and unexplained muscle or joint pain
- Persistent and inexplicable fever or night sweats
Diagnosis
Diagnostic imaging through CT, PET, Ultrasound, Magnetic Resonance, Radiography, is usually the primary method of analysis for the determination of solid tumors by the best doctor for cancer in India. The methods vary depending on the hypothesized tumor site. A simple blood or lymph node analysis is often sufficient for blood cancers. Staging and determination of the degree of malignancy are often through tissue histological analysis supplemented by molecular biology techniques.
Treatment
Once cancer is diagnosed, the goal is to start treatment as soon as possible. The prognosis and treatment of cancer are determined, among other things, based on four basic parameters –
- Type and aggressiveness of the tumor
- Stage of tumor development
- Degree of the cellular anomaly
- General health conditions of the patient
Surgery – In most situations the main option is surgery. Subject to certain exceptions, cancer surgery is used in almost all types of solid tumors. In some circumstances, before surgery, radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy must be used to reduce the tumor mass.
Chemotherapy – Chemotherapy is an intervention that uses cytotoxic drugs. Generally, the effect of these drugs is to block the rapid cellular replication that distinguishes malignant tumors.
Chemotherapy is very useful in some types of cancer (e.g., leukemia ), but it is also characterized by significant side effects since cytotoxic drugs cannot distinguish healthy cells from diseased cells.
Radiotherapy – Radiation therapy is a type of treatment that uses radiation to achieve the destruction of cancer cells.
Immunotherapy – Immunotherapy is a type of treatment based on the creation of vaccines designed to activate the body’s immune defenses against cancer cells.
At Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai and Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bangalore some of the best specialists in this field toil to cure the most difficult cases of cancer.