From diagnosis to remission. What you need to know about fighting cancer

Stage 1. Establishing diagnosis

timely detectionCancer / World Health Organization tumor largely determines the success of treatment. But some cancers develop latently and mayThyroid Cancer for a long time not to give himself away. Even those who carefully listen to their body do not always notice the first symptoms. Loss of appetite, fever, deterioration in the general condition of the body and other signsCancer treatment programs / Federal State Budgetary Institution National Medical Research Center for Radiology, which do not cause much anxiety, are often attributed to fatigue and overwork.

There are specific symptoms characteristic of "gender" tumors. Women needSymptoms of oncological diseases in women / Official portal of the Ministry of Health of Russia about oncological diseases pay attention to unusual changes in the skin of the breast, discharge from the nipples, bleeding outside the menstrual cycle. Men sometimes experiencingSymptoms of oncological diseases in men / Official portal of the Ministry of Health of Russia about oncological diseases

difficulty urinating, feel tightness in the testicles and painful formations in the chest - although their mammary gland is not so developed, it also may appearSymptoms of oncological diseases in men / Official portal of the Ministry of Health of Russia about oncological diseases cancer cells.

Contacting a specialist is the first step. Today in Russia, several methods for diagnosing cancer are used:

• Instrumental. With the help of ultrasound checkInstrumental diagnostic methods / Official portal of the Ministry of Health of Russia about oncological diseases organs with a dense structure or filled with liquid - the liver, gallbladder, kidneys, milk, thyroid, prostate and pancreas. Endoscopy allows you to examine the esophagus, stomach, colon, and rectum.
• Ray. It includes mammography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and other methods. For example, MRI is the most effectiveRadiation therapy methods / Official portal of the Ministry of Health of Russia about oncological diseases in the study of the brain and blood vessels.
• Laboratory. A tumor can be suspected by blood, urine, or stool tests. For example, a stool test for occult blood allowsLaboratory diagnostic methods / Official portal of the Ministry of Health of Russia about oncological diseases detect oncological diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Histological. This method helps understandHistological studies (including IHC and FISH-test) / Official portal of the Ministry of Health of Russia about oncological diseasesfrom which tissue the tumor has developed, and to make a correct diagnosis.

Stage 2. Purpose of treatment

Today, there are many methods of combating oncological diseases:

• Surgical. The patient has the tumor removed during surgery, if possible.
• Medical. Chemotherapy is a course of drugs that inhibit the growth of cancer cells. In addition, specialists may applyCancer / World Health Organization hormonal drugs, targeted and immune therapy.
• Ray. The neoplasm is destroyed by ionizing radiation. Modern methods make it possible to irradiate the tumor, practically without affecting healthy cells. But even with tissue damage ableRadiation therapy / Official portal of the Ministry of Health of Russia about oncological diseases restore.
• Radio frequency. In the tumor introduceRadiofrequency ablation of neoplasms electrodes and act on them with radio frequency vibrations. This leads to a significant increase in temperature in the tissues, and malignant cells die.
• Cryotherapy. The principle is the same as with the radiofrequency method, only here they fight the tumor with cold. into her introduceCryotherapy / FSBI «N.N. N.N. Blokhin» of the Ministry of Health of Russia cryoprobe with liquid nitrogen or argon. Tissues are cooled to -150 degrees, and cancer cells are destroyed under the influence of extremely low temperatures.
• Photodynamic therapy. The patient is injected with a special drug - a photosensitizer, which accumulates in the tumor. After that, a laser is used - it selectively affects cancer cells.

Effective result can be achievedCancer / World Health Organization through a combination of several methods. The treatment regimen depends on gender and age, the location of the tumor, the stage of the disease, the presence of metastases. Each case is unique, so a second opinion is especially important here. Patients with a confirmed diagnosis undergo a medical consultation - an extended consultation of several specialists to clarify the diagnosis and choose treatment tactics.

Stage 3. Treatment

The fight against the disease can take a couple of months, or it can last for years. Sometimes only surgical treatment is enough. But often, drug, radiation or combination therapy is prescribed after surgery.

Treatment can be adjusted in the process, because the patient is constantly under the control of different specialists. In addition, every year the methods of treatment are improved. For example, recently the Russian Ministry of Health approvedThe Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation approved the conduct of clinical trials of a gene therapy drug for cancer / Vademec.ru conducting clinical trials of the world's first gene therapy drug.

It is important to find your specialist, fulfill all the requirements and not resort to folk remedies.

Stage 4. Remission

When the diagnosis shows that there are no more signs of neoplasm in the body, remission occurs. This condition cannot be called a complete cure, because the disease has a chance relapseStatistics in Oncology / Association of Cancer Patients "Hello!". To prolong remission, it is important to continue preventive therapy and follow recommendationsHow to prolong remission / Official port of the Ministry of Health of Russia about oncological diseases specialists:

• Give up all bad habits. Especially from nicotine. Even passive smoking increasesLung Cancer risk of developing lung cancer.
• Monitor fatigue and maintain sleep patterns.
• Stick to balanced dietHealthy eating / WHO. Reduce the amount of fried, fatty, spicy and smoked foods.
• Exercise moderately. Regular physical activity reducesPhysical activity / WHO the risk of facing cancer of the breast, colon, bladder, stomach and kidneys.

In addition, often patients after treatment faceSide effects and how to deal with us / Official portal of the Ministry of Health of Russia about oncological diseases with reduced immunity. It is important for them to visit crowded places less often, not to contact with sick people, to wash their hands thoroughly and not to overcool.

Stage 5. Regular observation

In medicine, there is the concept of a five-year survival rate - this is the time threshold that a patient lives from the moment he was diagnosed. If no symptoms of the disease are detected five years after therapy, the cancer countsStatistics in Oncology / Association of Cancer Patients "Hello!" conditionally defeated. Conditionally - because there are no guarantees that the oncological disease will not arise again or hidden metastases will not make themselves felt. Therefore, even after a complete treatment, it is important to regularly show upWhat is a relapse / Official portal of the Russian Ministry of Health about oncological diseases specialists, take tests and monitor well-being.