Cancer Treatments Higher

Cancer Treatments Higher

There are three main approaches to treating cancer, each working in a different way:

Surgery involves physically removing the tumour from the body. It is most effective when the cancer is localised (has not spread). The surgeon may also remove some surrounding healthy tissue to ensure all cancer cells are eliminated.

Chemotherapy uses drugs that target rapidly dividing cells. Because cancer cells divide much more frequently than most normal cells, they are preferentially killed. However, some normal body cells also divide rapidly — including hair follicle cells, gut lining cells, and bone marrow cells. This is why chemotherapy causes side effects such as hair loss, nausea, and reduced immunity.

Radiotherapy uses targeted beams of high-energy ionising radiation aimed directly at the tumour. The radiation damages the DNA of cancer cells, preventing them from dividing. Careful targeting minimises damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

Many patients receive a combination of these treatments. Modern targeted therapies also exist, which use drugs designed to interfere with specific molecules involved in cancer growth — causing fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy.