Cancer Treatment & Quality of Life

Cancer has a major impact on the lifestyle of a patient. Timely detection with appropriate treatment helps a patient recover quickly to normal life. During this moment of crisis, it is very important that patients have a strong support system at home to provide physical, mental and emotional support.

What are the different types of cancer treatments?
After cancer is diagnosed, it is important to select the right treatment. The treatment is decided based on a patient's age, general health, type and the stage of cancer. Generally, a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy are used to treat cancer.

Types of Cancer Treatments
• Surgery: Surgical procedures are used to remove cancer from the body by removing the cancer tissues. The type of surgery depends on the location, stage of cancer and overall health.
• Radiation Therapy: Radiation therapy kills cancer cells using X rays. The therapy works by damaging cancer cell DNA.
• Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy uses one or more anti-cancer drugs in combination to treat cancer. It works throughout the body and destroys all cancer cells by damaging cellular DNA.
• Immunotherapy: It is a treatment to boost the body’s own immune system to fight against cancer cells. Immunotherapy is a biological therapy which uses substances from living organisms to treat cancer.

• Targeted Therapy: This treatment uses drugs that work to by targeting and destroying the tumour specifically using molecular targets seen only in tumour cells, leaving normal cells untouched. This causes the least side effects.

Quality of Life
Thanks to the advancements in the field of medicine, more and more people affected with cancer are able to lead a healthy and quality life after recovering from cancer. But beyond the initial treatment, it is important to look at the long term effects on the health. Here are certain tips to improve the quality of life after cancer treatment.

• Ask for support- Be open with family and friends and express what you feel and how you need their support.
• Regular Exercise- Exercising regularly helps to recover faster. Making physical activity a part of daily routine helps to stay active.
• Eat a balanced diet- Adopt a healthy alkaline diet that includes an ample amount of fruits and vegetables.
• Stay Positive- It is important to develop a positive attitude and build inner strength.
• Rest Well- Insomnia is a common problem faced by cancer survivors. This may be due to the physical changes, stress and side effects of the treatment. But getting enough sleep is important for recovery. Ample amount of sleep helps to refresh body and mind and thus improves hormonal function and lowers blood pressure.
• Find ways to stay relaxed- Meditation, yoga and spending time amidst nature helps people to feel relaxed. Some people follow spirituality to stay calm and to build their inner strength.