Technology is involved every day and new machines and inventions are being made. This advancement can be seen in many fields of day-to-day life, be it in manufacturing industries, the food industry or healthcare.
One of the biggest issues in the field of healthcare is cancer. It is one of the most life-threatening diseases which is taking the lives of many people across the globe. Cancer patients are increasing day by day hence we need someone to support the patients to get better treatment and suitable care. Cancer treatment methods have to be developed with that to save many lives.
Computer science shapes how researchers and doctors build the most tailored and effective cancer therapy by utilising hardware, software, algorithms, and data collecting.
Techniques to Treat Cancer
Some of the commonly used techniques to treat cancer, with the newest invention that has been done to improve the treatment process. Some modern inventions look for precision in the job that is being done. Here is the list of techniques to treat cancer and their choices:
1. Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy rays to destroy malignant cells while leaving normal cells alone. These high-energy rays kill cancer cells by damaging their DNA (genetic material) and can be either external or internal. External radiation is given by exposing the body to gamma rays, x-rays, electrons, protons, neutrons, or other types of radiation. Internal radiation includes radioisotopes, radionuclides, and interventional procedures. There are two main types of radiation therapy: conventional radiotherapy and brachytherapy. Conventional radiotherapy involves using X-ray machines to treat patients. Brachytherapy uses radioactive seeds or rods placed inside the patient’s tumour.
2. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to fight cancerous tumours. Drugs may be administered orally, intravenously, or by injection.
An intelligent knife, also known as an iKnife, uses electricity to burn tissue rather than a surgical blade. As the tissue burns, the iKnife catches the smoke in a tube and sends it into a mass spectrometer, a high-tech computer. This equipment detects the presence of cancer molecules.
Nanomedicine is the medical discipline of treating disease with tiny, man-made particles. These small particles function similarly to building blocks or construction materials. To interact with tumour cells, scientists can organise them into various forms such as boxes or long tubes.
3. Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is the use of immune system agents to fight cancer. Immune system agents include monoclonal antibodies and lymphokines. Monoclonal antibodies block specific receptors on tumour cells, while lymphokines stimulate the immune system to attack cells.
Artificial intelligence is a type of computer software that follows a set of instructions to do a useful activity. These instructions are known as algorithms, and they work similarly to pie recipe guidelines. Using artificial intelligence to examine CT images of tissue, researchers discovered indicators that might predict which of the 109 non-small cell lung cancer patients in the trial would suffer tumour development following immunotherapy. For immunotherapy, there are lots of the top cancer hospitals in Delhi.
4. Targeted Therapies
Targeted therapies are treatments based on the molecular structure of cancer cells. A targeted therapy attacks a protein that is specifically expressed in a particular type of cancer. A targeted therapy drug is designed to bind to a molecule on the surface of a certain type of cancer cell. Inhibiting the function of this molecule slows down the growth of cancer cells and stops them from spreading throughout the body.
Drug-resistance genes can be removed from tumour DNA by scientists. As a consequence, cancer patients would benefit from more effective treatment that can prevent mutations from evolving into severe malignancies, as well as a higher quality of life.
CRISPR might potentially be used by doctors to screen individuals for high-risk DNA abnormalities and remove the cancer-causing gene.
5. Surgery
Surgery is the removal of diseased, damaged, or infected tissue. Surgeons remove abnormal tissue by cutting away the affected area with sharp instruments called scalpels. Sometimes surgeons use special techniques to examine and diagnose the problem before removing the diseased tissue. If necessary, they may perform tests to determine if the disease can be cured. Surgeries are done to remove tumours, repair damage caused by injury, or replace organs damaged by disease.
Robotic-assisted surgery, a promising technique, is the most visible example of computer science at work to treat cancer with better accuracy than traditional surgical procedures.
You can also read: What is Cancer?
