Cancer And Radiation Treatment

What to know about radiation therapy?   What is it?   Side effects   Radiation and other treatments   Types   What to expect   Uses   Outlook

Radiation therapy is a treatment for cancer and, less commonly, thyroid disease, blood disorders, and noncancerous growths.

A doctor may recommend radiation for cancer at different stages. In the early stages, radiation therapy can help reduce the size of a tumor before surgery or kill remaining cancer cells afterward. In the later stages, it may help relieve pain as part of palliative care.

One form of radiation treatment involves using a machine that produces a beam of radiation. The beam targets a specific area of the body. Another type involves putting a radioactive substance inside the body, either permanently or temporarily.

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Cancer And Chemotherapy

Understanding Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to destroy cancer cells. It usually works by keeping the cancer cells from growing, dividing, and making more cells. Because cancer cells usually grow and divide faster than normal cells, chemotherapy has more of an effect on cancer cells. However, the drugs used for chemotherapy are powerful, and they can still cause damage to healthy cells. This damage causes the side effects that are linked with chemotherapy.

Different types of chemotherapy

Treatment with these powerful drugs is called standard chemotherapy, traditional chemotherapy, or cytotoxic chemotherapy.

The goals of chemotherapy

The goals of chemotherapy depend on the type of cancer and how far it has spread. Sometimes, the goal of treatment is to get rid of all the cancer and keep it from coming back. If this is not possible, you might receive chemotherapy to delay or slow cancer growth.

Delaying or slowing cancer growth with chemotherapy also helps manage symptoms caused by the cancer. Chemotherapy given with the goal of delaying cancer growth is sometimes called palliative chemotherapy.

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Brain Tumor Treatment

Brain tumors overview What are my treatment options? What happens during radiation therapy? What are possible side effects of radiation therapy? What are some of the possible risks or complications?

What kind of treatment follow-up should I expect? Are there any new developments in treating my disease?

Brain Tumors Overview

A brain tumor is a group of abnormal cells that grows in or around the brain. Tumors can directly destroy healthy brain cells. They can also indirectly damage healthy cells by crowding other parts of the brain and causing inflammation, brain swelling and pressure within the skull.

Brain tumors are either malignant or benign. A malignant tumor, also called brain cancer, grows rapidly and often invades or crowds healthy areas of the brain. Benign brain tumors do not contain cancer cells and are usually slow growing.

Brain tumors fall into two different categories: primary or metastatic. Primary brain tumors begin within the brain. A metastatic tumor is formed when cancer cells located elsewhere in the body break away and travel to the brain. For this reason, metastatic brain tumors are almost always malignant, while primary brain tumors may be benign or malignant.

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Joint Replacement Surgery

The Different Types of Joint Replacement Surgeries

in Joint Replacement Surgeries

The skeletal structure of the human body is made up of many different types of joints, the point where two bones meet. The knee joint is called a “hinge,” as it can bend and straighten. The hip and shoulder joints are “ball-and-socket” where the rounded end of one fits into the hollow of another bone, allowing for a rotation movement.

Normal joints have “articular cartilage,” and are coated with synovial fluid which allows them to move smoothly. When this cartilage erodes or is damaged due to disease, trauma, or age, or the fluid is reduced, joints become stiff and painful. This condition with symptoms such as pain and stiffness, is called arthritis.

Your doctor will first suggest non-surgical treatments to reduce pain and help you move better, often with the use of walking aids, exercise, or medications. If these do not work, the joint may be too compromised to be resolved with any other treatment, and surgery becomes necessary.

In joint replacement, abnormal bone and lining structures are surgically removed and replaced with new parts constructed of metal, plastic or carbon-coated implants. These new parts restore mobility to the joints, and are usually painless.

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Arthroscopic Knee Surgery

Arthroscopy (ahr-THROS-kuh-pee) is a procedure for diagnosing and treating joint problems. A surgeon inserts a narrow tube attached to a fiber-optic video camera through a small incision — about the size of a buttonhole. The view inside your joint is transmitted to a high-definition video monitor.

Arthroscopy allows the surgeon to see inside your joint without making a large incision. Surgeons can even repair some types of joint damage during arthroscopy, with pencil-thin surgical instruments inserted through additional small incisions.

Why it's done

Doctors use arthroscopy to help diagnose and treat a variety of joint conditions, most commonly those affecting the:   Knee   Shoulder   Elbow   Ankle   Hip   Wrist  

Reasons for Arthroscopic Knee Surgery

Arthroscopic knee surgery may be a treatment option for certain types of knee pain. Arthroscopic surgery is a procedure that involves inserting a small camera inside the joint. Through other small incisions, instruments can be inserted to repair or remove damaged structures. Arthroscopic knee surgery is often called "scoping the knee" or knee arthroscopy.

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Anterior Cruciate Ligament ACL Reconstruction Surgery

Anterior Cruciate Ligament ACL Reconstruction

Overview

ACL reconstruction is surgery to replace a torn anterior cruciate (KROO-she-ate) ligament (ACL) — a major ligament in your knee. ACL injuries most commonly occur during sports that involve sudden stops and changes in direction — such as basketball, soccer, football, downhill skiing and gymnastics.

In ACL reconstruction, the torn ligament is removed and replaced with a piece of tendon from another part of your knee or from a deceased donor. This surgery is an outpatient procedure that's performed through small incisions around your knee joint.

ACL reconstruction is performed by a doctor who specializes in surgical procedures of the bones and joints (orthopedic surgeon).

Anterior cruciate ligament

Ligaments are strong bands of tissue that connect one bone to another. The ACL — one of two ligaments that crosses the middle of the knee — connects your thighbone (femur) to your shinbone (tibia) and helps stabilize your knee joint.

Why it's done

Most ACL injuries happen during sports and fitness activities that can put stress on the knee:

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Achilles Tendon Repair Surgery

What is Achilles tendon repair surgery?

Achilles tendon repair surgery is a type of surgery to fix a damaged Achilles tendon.

The Achilles tendon is a strong, fibrous cord in the lower leg. It connects the muscles of your calf to your heel. It’s the largest tendon in your body. It helps you walk, run, and jump.

In some cases, the Achilles tendon can tear, or rupture. This is usually due to a sudden, strong force. It can happen during tough physical activity. It can happen if you suddenly move faster or pivot on your foot. Having a foot that turns outward too much can increase your risk of a torn tendon. A ruptured Achilles tendon can cause pain and swelling near your heel. You may not be able to bend your foot downward.

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