How Have Cancer Treatments Developed Over The Years

Cancer has been around since humans first existed, and yet we have not always known how to treat it. Now, cancer is not always life-limiting, and treatments are being developed all the time to extend the lives of those with cancer and treat their condition. If you are interested in how we have got here, here is a quick guide to how cancer treatments have developed over the years.

Ancient Times

Medical professionals have been trying to treat cancer since time began. In ancient times, physicians tried to remove tumors using basic surgical procedures, as well as treating the area with poultices and small incisions into the affected area. However, in most cases, cancer was not curable, and treatment was not attempted.

The 19^th Century

The 1800s was the first time that people tried to cure cancer and move past the idea that it was an incurable disease. One of the first steps toward the treatment of cancer was the use of immunotherapy in the late 1800s. Immunotherapy for cancer encourages the immune system to fight back against encroaching cancer cells through the use of antibodies and vaccines. Although it was first discovered as a treatment for some cancers in the 1800s, it was soon found to treat more, and immunotherapy is still used as a treatment for cancer today. Today’s immunotherapy treatments are groundbreaking in what they can achieve, and new research is being conducted all the time to expand the use of immunotherapy for cancer patients. At the moment, immunotherapy is an exciting alternative to traditional treatments and therapies for many. If you believe that immunotherapy could be the answer for you, you should look into clinics that provide immunotherapy for cancer.

The 19^th century was also the time when radiation began to become a prominent treatment for cancer. This method uses targeted radiation on the affected area to kill cancer cells. In some cases, you can only receive radiation on a part of the body once, depending on the amount of radiation that was used. This means that doctors might be careful when they are choosing whether to use radiation on you.

The 20^th Century

One of the treatments that people most associate with cancer today is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy was developed in the early to mid-20th century due to the use of nitrogen mustard in the war. Chemotherapy is when certain chemicals are put into the body to kill cancer cells. However, they also kill healthy cells, which can leave people who are going through chemotherapy with undesirable side effects. Many different types of chemicals can be used during chemotherapy, and these depend on the type of cancer that you have been diagnosed with.

The 21^st Century

However, developments in cancer treatments have not stopped happening. In the 21^st century, there has been great interest in personalized vaccines that can target cancer cells, as well as artificial intelligence, which can identify different cancer cells on X-rays and assess the risk of certain people developing cancer. Not only this, but surgery has become less invasive, with lasers being used to remove cancer cells without the need for large incisions.