When is the need for medical oncology to treat cancer?

That branch of medicine that deals with the management of cancer is known as oncology. The specialists who treat patients are known as oncologists. It is important to keep in mind the three main components that have become necessary to increase the chances of survival of patients. The three components are mentioned below:

• Prevention: Prevention identifies risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol and works to reduce their use.

• Diagnosis: Diagnosis is made by detecting cancers with the help of tests and staging.

• Treatment: Treatment is given by looking at the extent of the cancer and the parts of the body that are affected.

There are no exact causes of this disease, which makes it even more powerful, but there are several risk factors. Staying away from these factors can lessen the chance of your body being affected by this disease. Some of the common risk factors are:

• Tobacco is considered the leading cause of death from cancer. More than 20 percent of deaths related to this condition are caused by tobacco.

• Lifestyle choices, such as smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol, increase risk.

• Cancer is prominent in older people. This is because most cancers take years to develop. They may be present in the body for a long time, but are only identified at a later stage when they have fully developed.

• There are several carcinogenic substances in the environment. They are present in both air and water. It is difficult for us to avoid them. Some of the examples include arsenic, asbestos, benzene, cadmium, etc.

• Obesity – is directly related to cancer of the breast, colon, rectum, endometrium, esophagus, kidney, pancreas, etc.

There are different ways to treat this disease. Includes radiation therapy, surgery, and medical oncology. Medical oncology means when the treatment is done with the help of chemotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted therapy.

• Chemotherapy

It uses drugs to kill the affected cells. A single drug or a combination of different drugs is given to stop cancer cells from growing and dividing and from making new cells. These drugs are very powerful and have the potential to kill nearby normal cells. It can be used in different ways. If it is used to shrink tumors before surgery, it is known as neoadjuvant chemotherapy. It can also be used as the only treatment in diseases such as leukemia and lymphoma. The medicines that are administered are given according to the type of cancer being treated and the place where it has spread.

• Targeted Therapy

It also works by administering drugs, but it is different from chemotherapy in that specific genes and proteins are targeted to stop the growth and spread of cancer. These methods are often used with chemotherapy and other options. The drugs administered have the ability to block the signals that give information to tumor cells to grow and divide. It is done with the help of two different types. In monoclonal antibodies, the drugs block the exact target that is affected in and around the cancer. With small molecule drugs, the process that helps cancer cells multiply and spread is blocked. This therapy is commonly used in breast, colorectal, and lung cancer.

• Immunotherapy

In immunotherapy, the body’s natural immune system is stimulated to fight cancer. The substances used in fighting are either produced by the body or specially prepared in a laboratory. They work by stopping the growth of affected cells and by helping the immune system work better to destroy cancer cells. In oncolytic virus therapy, genetically modified viruses are used to kill cancer cells. The virus is injected into the tumor. It copies itself, causing cells to burst and die. Then there is T cell therapy. In this method, T cells are removed from the blood and modified in a laboratory. They re-enter the body and destroy cancer cells.