There are more than 300 types of cancer, and so far we have only two vaccines; they are HPV( human papillomavirus virus) and hepatitis B virus, but it is a start. For years, the treatment of cancer (after the fact, so to speak) was the focus of most research, and there has been a lot of progress in treating cancer with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The credit for every bit of the progress that has been made in cancer treatment goes to researchers and scientists who dedicate their lives to learning more and finding new treatments. This progress was made in laboratories as well through clinical trials of new drugs and new procedures. Now the focus has broadened to include the idea of prevention through the use of vaccines.

Researchers and scientists have learned a lot more over the years about how the body fights cancer on its own. The body has a built-in defense system that is called the immune system. The human immune system is really amazing. It’s a network of specialized tissues and cells that fight disease. The idea of vaccines to prevent diseases of all kinds is to make use of the body’s natural defense system – the immune system. Vaccines are called “biological” therapies – a kind of germ warfare to prevent diseases in the human body.

Vaccines for cancer will be developed in laboratories and through clinical trials just like treatments have been developed. There isn’t likely to be an announcement on the evening news that a vaccine has been developed that totally prevents all kinds of cancer, but the researchers are out there looking for it. Maybe someday…

A common prostate cancer treatment is radiation therapy. There are two types of radiation therapy: internal or interstitial radiation and external radiation. Interstitial radiation, known as brachytherapy is radiation that is administered internally to the affected tissue. External radiation, or EBRT, is applied from the outside using the maximum amount of radiation possible without damaging surrounding organs and tissue.

The hormone testosterone is responsible for the growth of the male sex organs and therefore contributes to the growth of cancer in the prostate. A non-invasive prostate treatment is to cease the production of testosterone, thus stopping the continued growth of cancerous cells. Tests have shown that after this prostate treatment is complete, testosterone levels generally return to normal or almost normal.

Chemotherapy is a prostate cancer treatment generally used when alternative treatments like prostate surgery have failed. It is used only for cancer that is very far along and has spread to other areas of the body. Chemotherapy utilizes extremely toxic chemicals that kill the cancerous cells.

The concept of prostate surgery is to get rid of the cancerous gland itself. This prostate treatment is only helpful if the cancer is confined to the prostate. Prostate surgery can often be radical, involving not just the removal of the gland itself, but the surrounding veins and nerves.