Choosing the right physician is important when it comes to cancer treatment options. While there are many different types of cancer that require different forms of treatment, your treatment will depend on your physician and their experience. You will use your cancer treatment specialist for information, consultation, and even referrals. Make sure you choose one that you are comfortable with and that you trust.
How to find a cancer specialist
Your primary physician will likely refer you to a couple of potential cancer specialist. Cancer treatment is usually beyond the scope of medical practice of your usual physician. They might even send you to a cancer treatment center that focuses primarily on cancer treatments, like head and neck cancer treatment. However, you will still need to choose a specialist at the treatment center. Some treatment centers will provide you with a treatment team, a group of different medical professionals that are focused on treating you.
How to choose a cancer treatment center
You could go to the first cancer treatment center that your physician refers you to or you could do your own research and choose your own. When you are researching cancer treatment centers, you want to look at location, payments accepted, procedures offered, and especially the types of cancer they work with. You can also learn a lot about the specific cancer treatment center by the physicians that work there and what previous patients have said about the treatment center. It is very important, however, that you choose a center that offers treatment for your type of cancer. Going with a treatment center that specializes in breast cancer treatment might not be the best idea for your head and neck cancer treatment.
Consider your treatment options
The specific cancer treatment options that are you are provided will depend on many factors including the type of cancer, how severe it is, and where it is. Breast cancer, for example, is often treated much differently than head and neck cancer treatment. When dealing with brain cancer treatment, the process is riskier. Targeting too much of the area could affect important parts of head or brain. Fortunately, proton therapy is a new cancer treatment therapy that targets less of the surrounding area and is better for types of head and neck cancer treatments.
Proton therapy in head and neck cancer treatments
Approximately 23,800 adults and 4,830 children are diagnosed with cancerous tumors of the brain and spinal cord each year, with brain tumors making up the majority of that number. Because proton therapy targets less of the brain, patients are left with fewer risky side effects. Additionally, the patient is more likely to feel less affected, especially in prostate therapy. Due to proton therapy?s targeted approach, studies have found that prostate cancer patients treated using this method have a significantly reduced risk of impotence, with about 94% of men reporting that they remain sexually active after their treatment.
The process is also quite simple. A single treatment session usually takes 15 to 45 minutes, however the actual time spent delivering the protons to the tumor is generally only about a minute or two. With proton therapy, patients can spend less of their time in treatment and more time dealing with other life responsibilities.
The treatment of some types of cancers is especially risky, because of its location. Problematic side effects can produce nauseous, gastrointestinal problems, and even impotence. Fortunately, a newer treatment in the industry better targets the area and reduces these side effects. Proton therapy is being used in different treatment procedures today and might be the right choice for you.