What is preventative Chemotherapy?

Those following the news will have read that sadly the Princess of Wales, potentially our next Queen had surgery and during the surgery, presumably to remove a known mass it was found that these cells were cancerous. The royal media team are certainly trying to play down her condition, but the story released does not tell us much about where the cancer is and what stage its is. One thing this story has done is, that it has raised awareness about cancer.

Abdominal cancers encompass various types, including pancreatic cancer, which affects the pancreas, a vital digestive organ. Liver cancer originates in the liver cells and can spread within the abdomen. Gastric cancer, originating in the stomach lining, poses significant risks. Additionally, colorectal cancer affects the colon. Cancers can also occur in the ovaries and bladder. These cancers present diverse challenges in diagnosis and treatment, often requiring a multidisciplinary approach for effective management and improved outcomes.

Cancer is a complex disease characterised by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells in the body. These cells can invade surrounding tissues and organs, disrupting their normal function. Cancer can develop in almost any part of the body and can arise from various factors, including genetic mutations, environmental exposures, and lifestyle choices. Cancer can behave different depending on which cells are cancerous.

We generally describe cancer in stages. What do these stages mean? Cancer is usually described as being in stages 1-4. Stage 1 means that the cancer is newly onset and limited to a single location. Stage 2 and 3 are when the cancer has grown and started to spread. Stage 4 means it has spread into the body. Cancer spreads fast through the bones, blood and lymphatic system. Sometimes cancer can be described as metastatic and that is the word given to describe the process of spreading. Lots of cancer is treatable; however, once it spreads, whilst it can be treated, outcomes are poor. It’s best to catch cancer early.

There are lots of treatments for cancer. Options include surgery to remove the cells, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, stem cell transplant, hormone therapy or immunotherapy. The palace media team have reported that Princess Kate’s treatment is preventative, but sadly, this is not a medical term and has caused confusion. Ultimately, if cancer cells are found, a patient is diagnosed as “having cancer”. Clearly, in Kate’s case, the first treatment she had was surgery, on the assumption (assuming the information released is correct) for a mass which was not expected to be cancerous. It is quite common then to have chemotherapy or radiotherapy to try and destroy the remaining cells. The princess will be under close monitoring and, once she completes the chemotherapy, will be assessed to see if the cancer cells are still spreading or not.

Chemotherapy is a process of being given medicines to kill the cancer. As cancer cells are aggressive, chemotherapy drugs are too. One of the reasons they give so many side effects is that whilst they are designed to target specific cells they cause harm to other good healthy cells as well. Some drugs are given orally and other intravenously.

We do not know exactly where Kate’s cancer is located, she had decided to keep this private. Unfortunately, it means the media are likely to keep probing to find out more, despite her asking for privacy.

One in 4 people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in there life. It’s important to spot signs of persistent illness and get them checked out. Treatments have come a long way over recent years.

If you are struggling with cancer there are some great cancer charities offering loads of support.