Cancer, Cancer Types, Side Effects, and the Treatment

By:
Frozan Sultani
M.Younus Taimori
Ahmad Mansour Mostamandi and Ahmad Edris Ahmadzai
Abstract:
Today worldwide cancer is the second highest and dangerous disease that has high death rate
after the cardiovascular disease. Cancer is a disease of cells that grows rapidly and
uncontrollably to all the human body parts quickly. These cells are made up of trillions of cells.
There are many types of cancers and many different types of treatments, but for this paper we
have chosen only two types of the treatment which are Tragedy drug therapy and the
Chemotherapy. We will also investigate the side effects of these treatments as different patients
have different types of reaction towards these treatments. So, we will have a brief overview of
the Cancer types, treatments, and side effects of the treatment. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions
and some situational issues we will be using the secondary data for our paper.
Topic Overview:
Cancer is a significant cause of death and disease across the world. Dozens of people are
diagnosed with cancer each year throughout the world, with more than half of those diagnosed
dying from it. With this rapid change of technology and world towards a highly developed era,
the same disease has been advanced and increased in number globally. Cancer is the second
leading cause of mortality in many countries or nations after cardiovascular illnesses. It will soon
become the leading cause of death in many world regions. Because cancer is most common in
the elderly, and many nations' populations are aging, cancer will continue to be a severe health
issue worldwide. More than 100 distinct cancers exist, most of which are named after the organ
they begin. Cancer develops when aberrant cells divide uncontrollably and spread to other
tissues. Even while genetics is a risk factor, only around 5% to 15% of all malignancies are
inherited. Modifiable risk factors like smoking explain as many as 85-95 percent of cancer cases,
obesity, excessive sun exposure, and environmental exposures (WHO, 2019).
The diverse social, environmental, and lifestyle factors in different parts of the world contribute
to the regional variance in cancer incidence. Developing nations may lack the resources to
identify incident cancer cases compared to developed countries. For example, well-heeled
countries have advanced technology. They quickly find the disease and the types of cancer (e.g.,
mammography, prostate-specific antigen test, colonoscopy, and Pap smear) are used to detect
many breasts and prostate, colon, and cervical cancers. However, in underdeveloped countries,
large-scale screening programs are rare, and sometimes, it is not that advanced to detect cancer
patients in the early stages or if they have the machines. However, they do not have those
capable doctors to treat and help the patients survive. One of the most prominent examples can
be our own country Afghanistan. We do not have such advanced technology that one could
detect the disease. For a tiny sample, we need our neighboring countries to examine and get the
result. So these types of issues are being faced in underdeveloped countries.
Prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment remain at the center of the fight against cancer, and
progress must be measured in terms of death rates and survival estimates, which consider early
detection and treatment efficacy. Also, not forget that these treatments are being implemented or
practiced now in many underdeveloped countries because of the high consumption of drugs and
many other secondhand clouds of smoke (Ranchod, 2020). In underdeveloped countries, the rate
of cancer patients is increasing.
For decades, cancer therapies have improved. Researchers are working hard to find more
effective medicines with fewer adverse effects on the patient. As we all know, the side effects of
how much it weakens the cancer patient and how much it gives a hard time to most critical
patients. A cancer treatment side effect is any disorder that affects your healthy tissue and organs
because of cancer treatment. Side effects vary greatly from person to person and from therapy to
treatment, where two persons undergoing the same treatment may have completely different
outcomes. While on the other hand, some of the patients might experience side effects lasting for
months or sometimes even after the treatment. Cancer treatment has been one of the biggest
challenges for doctors because, day by day, the number of cancer patients is increasing globally
(Detterberk and Muniraj, 2019). As discussed in the above paragraph, each patient's immune
system differs, and each body shows different reactions to the cancer treatment. The most
common side effects of the cancer treatment are Pain, Fatigue, Anemia, Vomiting and Nausea,
and Skin problems.
Chemotherapy is a medicinal treatment that employs strong chemicals to kill your body's fast-
growing cells. It is most commonly used to treat cancer because cancer cells grow and proliferate
significantly faster than the rest of the body's cells. Chemotherapy medications come in a variety
of forms. To treat a wide range of cancers, chemotherapy medications can be administered alone
or combined. It is an effective treatment for many forms of cancer, but it also risks adverse
effects. Some chemotherapy side effects are minor and manageable, while others can be life-
threatening. As I discussed in the above paragraph, it differs from patient to patient.
But in some cases, it affects life-threatening, but in some cases, the side effects stop when the
treatment is completed. Unlike Targeted drug therapy, chemotherapy also has some minor and
life-threatening side effects that will be discussed furtherly. Nausea, vomiting, fatigue, pain, and
skin problems are the minor side effects that one can have while undergoing treatment. On the
other hand, there are life-threatening side effects such as infertility, Kidney failure, Damaging to
the nervous system, a high risk of second cancer, damage to the lungs, and heart problems. These
are the side effects that could be very harmful, and some patients are not very strong enough, or I
should say that their body is not strong enough to tolerate this treatment, but many other patients
may survive such treatment.
Targeted therapy is another type of treatment for cancer patients. It is a sort of cancer treatment
that employs targeted medicines or other chemicals to target and kill specific cancer cells.
Targeted therapy can be used alone or in conjunction with other therapies like conventional or
standard chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation (A. Cancer, 2020). This therapy has both minor and
severe side effects. Some minor side effects such as skin problems, hair loss, vomiting, mood
swings, and many more can be typical examples of targeted therapy.
On the other hand, it has severe side effects if the patient is not under a doctor's supervision, so it
has a high possibility of death. Some serious issues with this therapy include high blood
pressure, blood clotting, and a high chance of internal bleeding, swelling and heart damage
because it is a powerful therapy. Most of the patients cannot continue due to weaknesses.

Research Objectives:
1: Cancer and What Are the Types and Effects of Cancer
2: What are the treatments and Side effects of Chemotherapy and Targeted Therapy on Cancer
Patients.

References:

A.Cancer Societ, (2020). Chemotherapy and Targeted Therapy Side effects.

Retrieved From: https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/treatment-types/
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F, Detterbeck and T, Muniraj. (2019). Side Effects of Cancer Treatment.
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WHO, (2019). Mortality of Cancer. Retrieved From: (https://www.who.int/data/gho).
Y, Ranchod. (2020). What to Know about Cancer?
Retrieved From:
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