Cancer symptoms include a wide range of signs and symptoms. Fortunately, many cancers have few or no symptoms. The goal of cancer therapy is to stop the growth of cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unaffected. Cancer is caused by abnormal growth of cells; the goal of oncology is to stop this growth.
The two main branches of oncology are cancer treatment and cancer prevention. Cancer prevention seeks to avoid the risk of developing cancer in the first place.
Why Treat Cancer?
There are a few potential reasons why a person would undergo cancer therapy. A cancer diagnosis can be very scary. People may wonder why they or a loved one developed cancer, what the treatment will be like, and if they will be able to survive.
Once diagnosed, members of the oncology team can help patients understand why they have cancer and what the treatment will be like.
Versatility
Cancer therapies may also be used to treat only certain types of cancer. For example, chemotherapy may be used to treat certain types of cancer that have come back after surgery or radiation therapy.