Cancer Treatment Reviews

Being diagnosed with any type of cancer whether it is breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer or colon cancer among other is not pleasant, but most people cringe at the thought of having to undergo traditional cancer treatments like radiology and chemotherapy. But there are other solutions in the form of alternative cancer treatment.

There has been much dispute and debate over which treatment works the best, but it is thought that combining the more severe traditional treatments with an alternative cancer treatment. This can obviously depending on the severity of the cancer, the type of cancer and on other influencing factors. It is advised that before undergoing any alternative cancer treatment, that a medical practitioner is consulted.

Some cancer treatments that are considered alternative could also just be vitamin and mineral supplements to help boost the effectiveness of the traditional treatments. Other types of an alternative cancer treatment can include massages, acupuncture, aromatherapy, and meditation. Continue Reading

Skin cancer is the uncontrolled growth of malignant cells in the skin, either on the surface or in deeper layers. Most skin cancers appear on parts of the body that are exposed to the sun, like the head, arms, hands, or even the eyelids. There are several ways to treat skin cancer.

Cryosurgery

Cryosurgery destroys the cancer cells by freezing them. The procedure is done by a dermatologist and can be done in their office. With small lesions, liquid nitrogen is applied to a cotton swab. The swab is held to the lesion until it’s frozen or destroyed. At other times liquid nitrogen can be sprayed on the lesion to destroy it. The lesion becomes a blister about two or three days after the surgery, then bursts by itself after two weeks. There will be a scab but not much scarring. The surgical wound should be kept dry with bandages for the first two or three days after the surgery. The patient can take non-prescription painkillers for any pain.

Electrosurgery

Another skin cancer treatment is electrosurgery, which can also be performed by a dermatologist in their office. The lesion is numbed with a local anesthesia, and then cleaned. An electrocautery tool destroys the cancer cells, and then a curette removes the destroyed tissue. The electrocautery is used again to destroy any cancer cells that lay beneath the lesion. Though the healing time for electrosurgery is a bit longer than with cryosurgery, both wounds should heal completely. The prognoses for both treatments are excellent. Continue Reading

There are an estimated 12 million cancer survivors in the United States who are living beyond their doctors’ predictions, thanks to a combination of cutting-edge chemotherapy drugs, excellent treatment, and improved screening measures. However, cancer survivors face unique challenges related to their treatment after cancer and need to stay alert to possible late side effects from chemotherapy and/or radiation. It’s important to talk to your doctor about proper screening for late side effects of cancer treatment for the rest of your life. Here is a list of possible tests that you might need depending on the type of treatment you received for your cancer:

1. Regular echocardiograms. Patients who received radiation to the chest wall and/or received high doses of chemotherapy, especially with a class of drugs called anthracyclines (such as doxorubicin), should have yearly echocardiograms to check for any heart damage related to treatment.

2. Regular mammograms. If you are a survivor of childhood cancer and received high doses of radiation to the chest wall, you may need to start mammograms at an earlier age. Secondary cancers related to primary treatment are always a possibility, especially with radiation to the chest wall. Breast cancer is one of the possible secondary cancers that can develop. Discuss with your primary care physician or oncologist about the possibility of screening mammograms beginning at an earlier age. If you are a survivor of breast cancer, screening mammograms should be number one on your priority list every year. Continue Reading