Advances and achievements in cancer treatment

Today, doctors can distinguish hundreds of types of cancer, know where the tumor is located, how it is progressing, and depending on the type and stage, use surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or a combination of multiple modalities for treatment.

The global cancer burden is increasing rapidly. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in the next 20 years, the cancer burden will increase by 57% with 21.7 million people being diagnosed with the disease and 13 million people dying from cancer. The main causes are global population growth, population aging, and environmental pollution.

The fight against cancer still poses many challenges, but medicine today has made great strides in understanding the causes,prevention, early detection and treatment of disease.

Advances in diagnosis

Endoscopy

A flexible tube with a small camera on the end, an endoscope is inserted into cavities and organs in the body to allow the doctor to see areas with suspicious lesions. Today, there are many types of endoscopes to see specific areas in the body and when necessary to biopsy suspicious lesions.

Supersonic

Ultrasound cannot accurately distinguish between benign and malignant tumors. Doctors often use ultrasound to locate the location for a needle biopsy to take a small tissue sample or aspirate a small amount of fluid to examine under a microscope. Ultrasound is a very safe, harmless test, and is very inexpensive compared to CT and MRI.

Computed tomography (CT scan)

CT scans show the shape, size, volume, and location of a tumor and can detect blood vessels that feed the tumor. In some cases, CT scans can help doctors determine whether a tumor is benign or malignant.CT scans are particularly effective in detecting and evaluating cancers of the liver, pancreas, adrenal glands, lungs, and bones. They are also used to detect cancers of the colon, esophagus, stomach, and brain, and to help determine the stage of the cancer. Repeated CT scans can help determine how well the cancer is responding to treatment and can detect recurrences.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

MRI can view any part of the body, especially useful for detecting and locating cancers of the central nervous system, head, neck and musculoskeletal system, and also helps doctors plan surgical or radiotherapy strategies in advance. MRI is more expensive than CT, but is not affected by X-rays like CT scans.

PET (Positron Emission Tomography)

A small dose of a radioactive sugar isotope is injected into the patient to produce color images of chemical changes in tissues. A scanner shows where the sugar is distributed, then creates an image. Cancerous tumors, which are more active than normal tissue, will appear abnormal on PET images.

Combined PET/CT. Two types of machines used at the same time provide a more comprehensive image of the tumor's location, growth and spread than either type alone.

Pathological diagnosis (pathological anatomy)

Doctors don’t stop at just determining that there is a possibility of cancer. The most accurate diagnosis is made by performing a biopsy. A small tissue sample is surgically removed and examined under a microscope to look for cancer cells.Biopsy results in a clear pathological diagnosis of the type of cancer. Treatment depends entirely on this result.

Life-changing medicine thanks to molecular diagnosis

Recently, molecular biological tests have shown genetic disturbances (mutations) in several types of cancer cells such as lung, breast, colon...Molecular diagnostics are used to analyze cancer biomarkers that can help physicians choose the best therapy for patients. A new trend in molecular diagnostics is developing, for example, cancer biomarkers.

Modern treatments (targeted therapy)

Cancer treatments.

Surgery

Most commonly used, the scalpel removes the tumor completely. Proper surgery is the best treatment for many localized, regional cancers. Today, the scalpel is gentler. Doctors are gradually cutting less. Many women can have their breasts conserved by lumpectomy alone with postoperative radiation. Removing bone and muscle tumors in the extremities without amputating the limb. Avoiding colostomy when removing rectal cancer.

Doctors now combine radiation, chemotherapy and new methods. Endoscopic surgery brings many miracles. Just need to make a few small holes in the skin to see and operate in the abdomen, in the chest. Surgery to remove tumors through tubes inserted into the intestines, esophagus or bladder. Equipment using fiber optic technology and cameras help doctors see inside the body. There are new ways to destroy tumors such as using lasers to cut or burn cancers in the cervix, larynx, liver, rectum; high frequency radio waves are transmitted to an antenna placed in the tumor to burn cancer cells.

Radiotherapy

Radiation therapy uses radioactive rays to kill cancer cells. In the early 20th century, radioactive rays (X-rays, gamma rays) were used to destroy malignant tumors. Today, the beams have become more miraculous. External radiation therapy uses accelerators to shoot rays from outside the body. Internal radiation therapy uses machines to bring radioactive sources close to the tumor. Intraoperative radiation therapy helps deliver strong doses of radiation directly to the cancer.

Valence

Uses chemicals that circulate throughout the body to kill cancer cells floating in the bloodstream or spreading cancer cells. Doctors may use chemotherapy before surgery toshrink the tumor. Post-operative chemotherapy goes throughout the body to kill cells that fall after surgery. Advances with many new drugs, drug combinations, safe and convenient drug delivery, drugs that catch the right cancer cells, and new endocrine drugs help treat prostate and breast cancer.

Biological therapy (targeted therapy)

Recently, scientists have been able to identify damaged genes, gene disturbances or gene mutations that cause cancer. The method of targeting them to correct gene disturbances is called targeted therapy. The drugs used are biological drugs, so the method belongs to the group of biological therapies.More and more new drugs are added.

Multimodal therapy combines surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy...

There is no single treatment that can cure all cancers. Often, a cancer requires a combination of treatments. For example, breast cancer, when treated properly, may require radiation or chemotherapy and targeted therapy.

Many achievements in treatment

Today, doctors can distinguish hundreds of types of cancer, know how cancer progresses, and tumors.where, large or small, still localized or spread to neighboring tissue or spread far.Depending on the type and stage, doctors use surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy... Now the scalpel is gentler, removing just enough of the tumor, and the radiation beam is delivered at the right dose to the right place. When cancer has spread to many places, there are more effective drugs that can reach the whole body. Targeted drugs repair damaged genes.

Early detection of breast cancer, cervical cancer can be cured 90%, thyroid cancer can be cured nearly 95%... Even when the disease is detected late, knowing how to make the most of good methods can also make the disease and the person feel better. Trusted doctors, steady hands, very modern radiotherapy machines, many new effective special drugs. The smooth coordination of modern treatment methods has brought better results for patients.

Survival rates of people with certain types of cancer after 5 years of diagnosis.

Lung cancer detected early in stage 1, the treatment result is good about 60-70%, stage 2 about 50% but the rate of patients detected early is very low so the total number of people treated well is only about 15%.

Liver cancer is still localized, the treatment result is good about 30%, cancer spread to neighboring areas the result is only 10%.

Stage 1 stomach cancer has a 50-70% cure rate. However, the early detection rate is still low, so the total number of people who receive good treatment is only about 25%.

Colorectal cancer is easy to detect early. 40% of cancers are localized and have a good treatment outcome of 90%, 30% of cancers that have spread to surrounding areas have a good outcome of 70%.

Especially prostate cancer, according to the American Cancer Society, the treatment results are good, generally for 5 years it is nearly 100%, 10-15 years > 90%.

Cervical cancer and breast cancer, patient treatment results are very encouraging.Many people with good treatment survive five years after diagnosis, and some continue to live longer.

According to VNE