Advanced Treatment Options for Cancer with World-Class Hospitals in India

Cancer treatment is usually complex and expensive, especially when you get it done abroad. The fact that India is a growing hub for cancer treatment has attracted a lot of patients. Recent discoveries and breakthroughs in cancer treatment have revolutionized cancer treatment in India.

You can find world-class hospitals in India offering a wide range of cancer treatment modalities, allowing the doctors to curate a personalized treatment plan for the patient, which is quite like to add to its effectiveness. Also, cancer treatment, here, is much cheaper and pocket friendly, which again is a major source of attraction for patients far and wide.

The country has some of the top cancer specialists recognized nationally as well as internationally, who offer a multi-disciplinary and innovative approach, and are back by advanced treatment options which include the following:

Biomarker testing - Biomarker testing is an advanced modality that allows doctors to examine the various mutations, rearrangements, and changes in the DNA, that can provide information about cancer. Apart from this, the test can also help to detect and assess key markers such as the levels of certain proteins and tumor DNA. This information is used by your medical team to tailor a proper treatment plan as per your specific requirement.

Chemotherapy - Chemotherapy is a drug-based treatment, which involves the oral or intravenous administration of certain chemicals into the patient's body, that helps to kill the cancer cells. The treatment may be given alone or in combination with other modalities. There are a number of different reasons for which chemotherapy may be performed. These are:

To cure cancer by killing the malignant cells

To kill the cells that have been left intact during the surgery

To decrease the size of the tumor, to prepare you for the surgery

To relieve various signs and symptoms associated with cancer

Hormone therapy - Also known as endocrine therapy, the treatment focuses on targeting various hormones which promote the development of cancerous cells. The treatment works in two different ways, either by slowing down or stopping the growth of such hormones or by changing their behavior. Hormone therapies are recommended to patients with prostate or breast cancer, in which hormones play a very vital role. The procedure can help to treat the malignancy or ease the symptoms associated with it

Hyperthermia - It is a cancer treatment modality that works by damaging the cancer cells by heating the body tissues to a very high temperature, around 113° F. The treatment is also referred to as thermal therapy of thermal ablation and involves various different approaches, including lasers, ultrasound, radio waves, heating fluids, and heated blankets. The treatment can be used for several different types of cancers including cervical cancer, head & neck cancer, melanoma, lung cancer, liver cancer, and rectal cancer.

Radiation therapy - Just like chemotherapy, radiation therapy involves the use of a high dose of radiation to destroy the malignant cells and reduce the size of the tumor. The radiations directly target and damage the cells with unhealthy DNA. The therapy may be given internally or externally. The former involves the placement of the radiation source inside the patient's body, and the latter involves the use of a machine or probe, to deliver the radiation. You will need several sessions of radiation therapy to completely destroy the cancer cells.

Immunotherapy - The treatment works by boosting the patient's immune system, to make it strong enough to fight the malignancy. The immune system helps to detect and destroy any foreign body, however, when you are detected with cancer, the immune system may be compromised, making it capable of fighting cancer. Immunotherapy can help to strengthen your immune system and boost its ability to fight cancer. Various different types of immunotherapies include immune checkpoint inhibitors, T-cell transfer therapy, monoclonal antibodies and treatment vaccines.

Photodynamic therapy - PDT is a type of phototherapy, in which light and photosensitizing chemicals are used to describe the cancerous cells. The chemicals are activated with the help of a laser. After light activation, these tend to become toxic and target the cancerous tissues. PDT can also be used to target precancerous cells.

Stem cell transplant - A stem cell transplant is a treatment modality that involves the replacement of the diseased bone marrow of a patient with healthy stem cells, with the aim of promoting the growth of new blood cells. The transplant can be autologous or allogeneic. The former involves the use of stem cells taken from the patients themselves, whereas the latter involves the use of cells taken from a suitable donor.

Surgery - This is an umbrella term for various invasive interventions, that aim at removing the cancerous mass from the patient's body. In some cases, the affected organ may also be removed or replaced. The surgery may be performed using the conventional approach, or minimally invasive interventions.

Targeted therapy - The therapeutic modality works by targeting and destroying specific genes and proteins with the help of certain drugs. Targeted therapy can influence the environment which promotes the growth of the cancer cells, thereby disrupting the same. The two most common types of targeted therapies include monoclonal antibodies and small-molecule drugs.