Many patients assume both approaches are used simultaneously without realizing their purposes diverge deeply. Curative treatment targets the disease with the goal of eradication. It includes surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or immunotherapy. These interventions attempt to shrink tumors, remove cancerous tissue, or stop cellular growth. In contrast, palliative care doesn’t aim to cure. It focuses on…
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Hormones travel through the bloodstream and regulate many body functions. Some cancers grow in response to hormone signals circulating through the body. These hormones, like estrogen or testosterone, can act as fuel. Tumors in the breast, prostate, uterus, or ovaries often respond to hormonal changes. Cancer cells may have receptors that latch onto hormones and…
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You don’t feel hungry the usual way. Food smells wrong. Water tastes like metal. Nausea flares without warning. This isn’t loss of appetite—it’s redirection. Your body still needs fuel. But its signals misfire. Eating becomes work. Timing and choice take priority over craving. Small portions eaten frequently offer more stability than large meals spaced far…
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People often confuse fatigue with being sleepy. Oncology-related fatigue feels heavier and more persistent. It doesn’t improve with rest. Patients describe it as a full-body exhaustion. Even small tasks require major effort. This type of fatigue is one of the most reported treatment side effects. It affects thinking, movement, and emotions. Fatigue intensity doesn’t always…
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Hair loss is one of the most feared side effects. But not all chemotherapy causes baldness. Some medications target rapidly dividing cells aggressively. Others are milder and don’t affect hair much. Modern regimens consider patient comfort and appearance. Scalp cooling systems also help preserve follicles during treatment. The idea of inevitable baldness is outdated. Radiation…
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Walking into your first chemo session feels strange.You don’t feel sick yet.But you’re there for treatment anyway.There are papers, bloodwork, quiet waiting.Everything feels both normal and unfamiliar.You watch others to guess what comes next. The room might look more like a clinic than a hospital.People come and go silently.Some bring books, others bring nothing.The staff…
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Immunotherapy doesn’t enter the tumor with weapons.It doesn’t try to poison or burn it.Instead, it reminds the immune system what danger looks like.Cancer often hides by mimicking normal cells.That trick confuses the body’s defenses.Immunotherapy pulls away that disguise. The immune system already knows how to kill.But cancer teaches it to ignore.That silence allows tumors to…
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Targeted therapy doesn’t act like traditional chemotherapy.It doesn’t attack all dividing cells at once.Instead, it searches for specific traits inside cancer cells.Mutations. Protein markers. Growth signal receptors.Once detected, it focuses only on those abnormal patterns.The rest of the body is mostly spared. That block doesn’t kill the tumor instantly.It slows its growth or stops further…
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Radiation doesn’t hurt during the actual session.The machine moves. You stay still. That’s it.No burning, no stinging, no pressure during delivery.There’s a buzzing sound. That’s normal.You’re alone in the room, but they watch you.It lasts a few minutes, then it’s over. Radiation Doesn’t Hurt During the Actual Session The side effects begin later, not during…
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Chemotherapy is one of the oldest treatments for cancer, but it’s more complex than it seems. At its core, it’s a treatment designed to kill cancer cells or slow their growth. It doesn’t work by curing the disease in a single swoop; it attacks the rapid, uncontrollable division of cells that defines cancer. But chemotherapy…
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