Adjuvant Therapy
There are many precautions that need to be taken after a cancer patient has had any form of cancer removed. Adjuvant therapy is an important aspect of some patient's recovery because it targets the remaining cells that may be lurking in a person's body after surgery removed the main source of cancer. This is a common form of therapy after surgery or radiation because its purpose prevent the reoccurrence of the cancer cells in the body. As in other forms of treatment for different types of cancer, a lot of things need to be taken into consideration. The top factors include the stage of the cancer, the severity of the cancer, and the type of cancer that is being treated. However, there are four forms of adjuvant therapy that are used commonly to treat cancer patients. It is important for the doctor to determine which treatments are right for the patient. Some patients may also experience adverse reactions to the different types of treatment, and in those cases treatment can be altered to fit the patient's needs. Breast, prostate and colon cancer benefit the most from adjuvant therapy whereas a number of lymph nodes may not be as receptive to treatment.
Cancer therapy before and after surgery can include chemotherapy, which destroys cancer cells in nearly any part of the body. It can be used as a primary or adjuvant kind of therapy. Hormone therapy is another option, and by reducing hormone production, it lessens the chance of spreading cancer to other portions of the body. Hormone therapy is almost always used after surgery has been implemented. There are also a number of side effects to this type of therapy, so consulting a professional is necessary. Radiation therapy can destroy cancer cells by using high-powered rays. Radiation, like chemotherapy, is widely used as either a primary or an adjuvant form of therapy. Unlike chemo, radiation focuses on one part of the body where the cancer is located. There are side effects accompanied with this form as well. The last and most experimental treatment is immunotherapy which attempts to sway the body's own immune system to fight off cancer cells that may have been left post-surgery. This is the most severe and dangerous form of therapy, and may be the last type of therapy that a doctor may suggest. Doctor consultation is a must in any of these instances, because none of these therapies are completely harmless to the body.
