The traditional treatment modalities include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Currently studying the usefulness of immunotherapy and biological response modulation.
The main strategy for curative treatment of cancer is excision of all malignant cells by surgical intervention. In the past, this involved the excision of all affected tissue and as many potentially affected tissue, including the surrounding tissues and lymph nodes. For some tumors, particularly breast cancer, is not accurate as ablative surgery (mastectomy) in most cases.
Improvements in surgical techniques, knowledge in physiology, anesthesia and the availability of powerful antibiotics and blood products, have resulted in more limited surgery, with fewer sequels and more speedy recovery.
However, many cancers are not widespread in the time of diagnosis to curative surgery possible. If the local extent of tumor that affects surrounding tissues can not be resected, or if there are distant metastases, surgery is not curative treatment. (more…)
