Many cancer centers treat only certain types of cancers while other cancer centers treat all types of cancers. There are over 100 different types of cancers that are broken down into 14 various sub categories: gland; cartilage; red blood cells; white blood cells; liver; fat; blood vessels; pigment cells; muscles; bones; bone marrow; bladder; eye and brain. There is no known cure for cancer, however there are advancements in technology and treatments which help to alleviate a cancer patient’s pain and increase their life expectancy past the once several short months they were given only a mere ten years ago. In addition there are several things an individual could do for themselves to help prevent cancer like staying out of the sun, stop smoking and reduce their alcohol intake to one glass a day.
Many women who suffer from breast cancer now have an additional worry when it comes to depression and their breast cancer treatment regimen. A Canadian study at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre found that of the 2430 women who were taking an antidepressant known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s) and receiving the breast cancer treatment known as tamoxifen, many showed an increase in the number of deaths related to their cancer during the time period studied which was between 1993 and 2005. This was a long-term study and showed that the long-term effects were over all grim for women who stayed on the SSRI’s instead of switching to a different type of antidepressant medication.
Many of the women who participated in the research study regarding breast cancer treatments and depression medications were referred to an oncology center in which oncology doctors – doctors who specialize in various cancer treatments – would recommend other types of depression medications or therapies while patients were taking the tamoxifen. Oncology center doctors were hesitant about switching the tamoxifen rather than the antidepressant drugs because the tamoxifen works well in nearly all patients with breast cancer to reduce the severity of the chemotherapy side effects. It is also a well know fact that some antidepressants have the same effect – reducing chemotherapy side effects so it would be advantageous to switch to one that is helpful yet not a danger when mixed with the tamoxifen.
Tags: breast cancer treatment, cancer centers, oncology center, research