4 cancer breakthroughs that could save your life

Cancer has become more and more common in the country, with more people being diagnosed with the killer disease every year.

According to statistics by the Kenya Cancer Association, about 40,000 people were diagnosed with cancer in 2014, and of these, 30,000 died.

These numbers are alarming, especially because cancer is curable with early detection and speedy treatment.

There are various breakthroughs in the treatment of cancer that could potentially save your life when diagnosed early.

More specific drugs

Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy have proven effective in eradicating or slowing down cancer, however, the side effects are dire.

This is mainly because the chemo drugs target the whole organ thus killing both healthy and unhealthy cells.

The science community has developed drugs that allow doctors to target the origin of the cancer rather than the entire organ.

These drugs have reduced the side effects suffered by patients greatly.

Immunotherapy

The body’s immunity is a powerful tool that can be used to fight cancerous cells with the help of certain medicines.

The treatment is a new development in the fight against cancer and has been shown to work for patients in clinical trials.

It is not yet clear whether it is available in the country.

Life prolonging drugs

Cancer patients are able to live with the disease for a longer period of time these days.

Although Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy drugs may reduce cancer, it does not completely cure it and the cancer may come up again.

This will warrant the deployment of medicine again to counter the new emergence. The therapies help prolong life for patients.

Accessible treatment

Cancer treatment is soon to become more accessible as counties and the national government put in place measures to enable faster treatment of cancer patients.

The national government has in the recent past invested in machines and equipment to treat cancer that we hope will be operational soon.

Currently, cancer patients have to endure long queues at the Kenyatta National Hospital stretching on for months before they can access treatment.

We hope this will be a thing of the past once the equipment and centres become operational.

In the meantime, patients have had to travel to India for further treatment, with many praising India’s medical tourism.