Types of Cancer Treatments

There are a couple different types of ways to treat cancer, however it depends on what kind of cancer you have and what needs to be done to help stop or slow that certain type of cancer. One type of treatment is Chemotherapy it destroys cancer cells, stops the cells from spreading, and slows the growth of cells that have already developed. You can only get Chemotherapy through an iv, a shot into your muscle, a pill, or a cream that you rub on to your skin. Depending on the level of cancer you have you may need treatment everyday, every week, or every month but in between these treatments you must have a period of rest where your body can build healthy new cells. Another type of treatment is Radiation, where they use high-energy radiation to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells. One way to have radiation treatment would be through x-rays. They use radiation to shrink tumors in the brain, spine, growing in a bone, or in the esophagus. There is one problem with radiation treatment, there is the chance of ruining normal healthy cells. Another way to treat some cancers is through cryosurgery which is the use of extreme cold produced by liquid nitrogen to destroy affected tissue. It is used mostly for external tumors, early skin cancer, precancerous growths, and cervical cancer. Last there is a treatment called biological therapy, that works with your immune system. It helps to fight cancer and also helps with the side effects from other cancer treatments such as Chemotherapy.