What is immunotherapy? How does it help in fighting cancer?

Cancer is a very painful disease, it gets hold of all the members of the patient’s family. Not only is it physically draining, but also it can destroy a patient’s mental health as well. The process of fighting back cancer is even worse. One has to go through a lot of difficult processes.

The examination of cancer begins with a strict routine of tests and study of medical history. Laboratory tests of blood, urine, and stool can detect abnormalities which might be indicating towards cancer. There are a lot of top cancer treatment centers which offer good medical assistance.

Other tests that the doctor conducts are-

·         X-rays

·         CT

·         MRI

·         Ultrasound

The treatment of cancer depends on the type of cancer one has and how advanced it is. The treatment generally includes chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery and immunotherapy or targeted therapy. Cancer is the second most cause of death. You can also visit the top cancer hospitals in Delhi and get yourself treated.

Immunotherapy, also called biologic therapy, is a type of cancer treatment that boosts the body's natural defenses to fight cancer. It uses substances made by the body or in a laboratory to improve or restore immune system function. Immunotherapy may work by

·         Stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells.

·         Stopping cancer from spreading to other parts of the body

·         Helping the immune system work better at destroying the cancer cells.

There are several type of immunotherapy

·         Monoclonal antibodies

·         Non-specific immunotherapies

·         T-cell therapies

·         Cancer vaccines

·         Oncolytic virus therapy

Immunotherapy drugs help your immune system work harder or make it easier for it to find and get rid of cancer cells.Several immunotherapy drugs have been approved to fight cancer, and hundreds more are being tested in clinical trials.If your doctor suggests immunotherapy to fight your cancer, there’s a lot to talk to them about before you decide if it’s right for you. You can consult the best cancer treatment hospitals.

Immunotherapy may work when other treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy don’t work.

·         It can help other cancer treatments work better- therapies like chemotherapy may work even better once you have done immunotherapy.

·         Fewer side-effects- it’s so because it only targets the immune system and not the entire cells.

·         Chances of relapse are very few- once you have done immunotherapy, there are very slight chances of cancer returning back as our immune system learns how to fight back cancer in case it returns.

Let’s talk about the risks associated with immunotherapy.

·         You might have bad reaction- the target area where the medication goes into your body will hurt, swell, itch, turn red, or get sore.

·         There are side-effects- once you get the immunotherapy done, you might feel like you have a flu, with complete fever, chills and fatigue. Others could cause problems like swelling, weight gain from extra fluids, heart palpitations, a stuffy head, and diarrhea. Most of the time, these ease up after your first treatment.

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Is back pain related to cancer how can it be diagnosed at early stages?

Back pain can be as normal as any other pain. It can be a result of a muscle pull, some heavy exercise at the gym or any minor injury. The most worrying part about a back pain is the fact that we take it too lightly. Back pain can be a symptom of a more serious problem like cancer. It does sound crazy at first but generally it’s the first symptom of lung cancer.

There are a variety of reasons, other than cancer because of which back pain can be there. One might have arthritis or any other weakness. When we talk about back pain due to cancer, there can be many reasons such as-:

• 1.       Primary bone cancer tumor in the spine can cause back pain.
• 2.       It can be due to number of cancers which may metastasize like breast cancer, testicular cancer, colon cancer and lung cancer.
• 3.       Pain might rise as a result of the disease spreading.
• 4.       Side effect of the treatment given like chemotherapy.

It is always good to take the advice of a doctor when the pain becomes unbearable. One can look for top cancer hospitals in Delhi and go for a full medical examination.  A tumor in the lungs might put pressure on the spine, or can affect the nerves around the chest and spine.

There can be number of reasons of back pain due to lung cancer-:

• 1.       Back pain present at rest.
• 2.       Back pain that is worst at night.
• 3.       Back pain occurring without any activity.
• 4.       Back pain that worsens the longer you lie in bed.
• 5.       Back pain that gets worse when you take deep breath.

There are many cancer treatment hospitals in India which help the patient in getting the right treatment and diagnosis. One can also look for some other serious symptoms like-

• 1.       Persistent cough
• 2.       Shortness of breath
• 3.       Unintentional weight loss
• 4.       Chronic fatigue
• 5.       Coughing up blood

The treatment for back pain in case of cancer is like any other cancer treatment. One has to go through a certain procedure. There are blood test and series of other tests which decide the gravity of the disease. Then the doctor might suggest the course of action i.e how to go about it.

For lung cancer the treatment is chemotherapy, radiation therapy and some other medications pertaining to it. In case of bone metastases when the cancer has developed its roots inside the bones, the doctor suggests radiation therapy and bone modifying medications. There are many top cancer treatment centres in India with highly advanced medical equipments and world class services.

It is not necessary that only chain smokers get lung cancers, people who have never smoked in their entire lifetime are also battling this disease. Medical experts have no good answer for this. So, always take the advice of a doctor and then decide what to do. Same goes with back pain.

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How to Protect your lings if you are allergic to dust

Dust allergies or dust mite allergies are caused due to the house mites that live in the house dust. Dust contains different particles that can trigger allergies like dust mites, pollen,

pet hair, fur or feathers.

The common symptoms of the dust mite allergy include constant vigorous sneezing, runny nose, and the eyes might itch and become red and watery. Dust allergy can be very uncomfortable for a person and in extreme cases the person may even get a fever.

Other symptoms include:

• Nasal congestion

• Itchy nose, the roof of mouth or throat

• Postnasal drip

• A cough

• Facial pressure and pain

• Swollen, blue-coloured skin under your eyes

• In a child, frequent upward rubbing of the nose

According to a lung specialist hospital in Delhi, frequent dust allergy can cause lung damage. They cause inflammation and constriction of the soft muscle in the lung which can result into restricted airways. The best Pulmonology hospitals in Delhi ask the patients of dust allergies to take care of their health and avoid certain things in order to avoid exposing them to the allergy.

The regular procedures told by the doctors are:

• Getting wooden flooring rather than a carpeted floor as carpets trap dust particles in there fur.

• Vacuuming the house regularly

• Using an air cleaner in the house

• Wearing a mask when leaving the house.

• Keep away from pets

• Use pest replants to keep the house free from cockroaches as they are a cause of triggering the allergy.

• Keep the medications on the go and use them as soon as you notice the allergy coming.

There are specialized hospitals for lungs in Delhi that offer proper guidance to a patient having dust allergies in order to avoid any future problems. It is better to get treated for your allergy to help better the solution and moreover, it will help a person to live easily without having to watch his or her every move.

The doctor will perform a simple test where he or she will ask you common questions to determine your medical history and he or she will try to determine what triggers your allergy the most. Here, the doctor will also ask questions about your living and work environments. Often, the allergist also performs a skin test to get a clear picture of the allergy and what is affecting you.

The lungs hospitals in Delhi have specialized and extremely experienced doctors that provide the best possible treatment for the allergic reaction. The common treatments available for dust allergies include medications (decongestants and antihistamines), allergy shots, tablets (for oral consumption) and/or changes to your household. Other than this, the patient can take precautionary steps like avoiding polluted areas and getting a complete protection before stepping out of the house in order to avoid triggering his or her allergies.

Over the time, the allergy may get better but most of the people have a permanent experience with them.

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