Cancer Treatments

Radiation Therapy & Chemotherapy

• Radiation therapy - a method used to target leftover cells after a tumor is removed
  • Radiation therapy is a local treatment (only affects the tumor area)
  • Method:
  • High-energy rays stop/slow the growth of cancerous cells
  • Either done through a machine shooting beams into the body or through radiation pellets
  • Side Effects: soreness, sensitivity, skin looking burnt, nausea, fatigue, etc.
• Chemotherapy - a treatment used to target metastasized cancer cells
  • Metastasized cells - cancerous cells that travel away from the original tumor site to the rest of the body
  • Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment (throughout the body)
  • Method:
  • Drugs are injected into the bloodstream that target rapidly dividing cells
  • Side Effects: hair loss, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, lack of appetite, thinning skin, mouth sores, gum sensitivity, anemia, etc.

Biofeedback Therapy

• Biofeedback therapy makes patients aware of previously unconscious actions such as responses to pain or panic
• Benefits:
  • Less painful and invasive
  • Patients are not reliant on drugs
• Examples:
  • Yoga
  • Meditation

Amputation/Prosthetics

• Amputation - the surgical procedure of removing a limb
  • Typically happens when chemotherapy and radiation fail
• Prosthetics
  • Prosthetics have advanced throughout history to become more responsive to the patient’s wishes

Physical/Occupational Therapy

• Therapy used to accommodate patients to life without previous limbs
• Involves strengthening what’s left of the limb
• Physical therapists build strength in gross and fine skills
  • Gross skills - broader range of movements
  • Fine skills - small and concentrated range of movement (writing)
• Occupational therapists help patients relearn daily activities
  • Ex: how to zip a jacket up

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