Cancer Information & Discounts

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Cancer closely follows heart disease as the second natural cause of death in the U.S. Prostate cancer and breast cancer are the dominant cancers affecting Americans while lung cancer comes in second, but the cases of lung cancer are about half those of prostate and breast cancer. Read more about cancer treatments and anti cancer drugs below including drugs for breast cancer, lung cancer, and prostate cancer. Also find out about the most common cancer drugs and available discount coupons to help bring down the price of cancer medication. Our free coupons can be printed or received through your e-mail account or mobile phone. They are ready to use and never expire.

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Cancer Information & Discounts

General
Management
Types of Medication
Symptoms

What is cancer?

Cancer is still not completely understood, but what we do know is that it is the result of unregulated cell growth where a group of cells begins to divide uncontrollably and becomes a malignant neoplasm, or an abnormal mass of tissue, that eventually spreads to other parts of the body if left untreated.

The causes of cancer are diverse, but scientists have determined that only between 3-10% of cases of cancer are a result of genetics. Other causes include chemicals that are carcinogens or mutagens, a lack of exercise and bad diet, infection, radiation, and hormones. While smoking tobacco accounts for 90% of lung cancer cases, the number one cause of cancer cases overall is diet and lack of exercise, accounting for approximately 30-35% of cancer deaths.

Scientists are looking for the root cause of the body’s failure to regulate tissue growth and produce tumors. The future of cancer research and treatment seems to lie in genome sequencing. The cost of sequencing one human genome used to be in the millions, but luckily the cost has come down into the thousands. This research involves analyzing all 23 chromosomes containing 20,000 genes and over 3 billion base pairs of DNA. Scientists are now sequencing genes found in cells from different types of cancer tumors. Through this research they are learning to identify mutations in individual genes that allow for the proliferation of certain types of cells that ultimately lead to cancer.

How can I manage cancer?

Cancer can be treated in a variety of ways including radiation, surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and lifestyle changes or a combination of the above. Most patients and doctors choose to go with a combination of treatments. After the surgical removal of a tumor, if applicable, doctors will often recommend a round of chemotherapy or radiation to treat any cancer that has spread and prevent any reoccurrence. The best treatment for you depends on the type of cancer you have, your health and age, and the stage that the cancer is in. You and your health professional(s) should discuss all of your options before choosing a course of action. It is advisable to obtain multiple professional opinions and make healthy lifestyle changes in most, if not all cases.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is best defined as a chemical cancer treatment that is toxic to the body. Chemotherapy can be administered as an oral cancer medication or intravenously in a health care facility. Chemotherapy agents work by both killing cells and preventing cells from duplicating. Chemotherapy agents are made from a variety of materials. Some of them are toxic antibiotics. The goal of any chemotherapy treatment should be to administer just enough of the toxic substance to kill cancerous cells, but not destroy so many healthy cells that the body can’t recover. In the past, chemotherapy was non-selective, meaning that there was no choice but to treat the entire body. These days, targeting specific areas of the body with chemotherapy is much more common and reduces the risk of harmful side effects. It is critical to maintain a healthy diet while receiving chemotherapy and avoid other harmful agents such as alcohol and cigarettes to promote healing in the body. Read more about chemotherapy drugs for breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and others in the types of medication section.

Radiation

Radiation is the most common cancer treatment prescribed. It works by destroying the DNA of cancer cells leading to cell death. Radiation is of course harmful to all cells, but regular cells are more able to repair damage from radiation than cancer cells, leading to the death of cancer cells while most healthy cells recover. Radiation therapy can be delivered throughout the body or it can be localized or targeted to one specific area. Therapy can be administered by means of an external beam that is aimed at the area where malignant cells are present, or it can be placed inside the body or taken orally in the form of a liquid or capsule.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy for cancer involves the stimulation of the immune system to reject and attack cancer cells. Through immunotherapy, the body’s immune system is taught to recognize tumor cells as foreign bodies so that it begins to attack the tumor. To initiate treatment with immunotherapy, blood is normally drawn from the body and blood cells are modified to attack cancer cells. Then they are returned to the body via injection. There is currently only one of these vaccines that has been approved by the FDA called Provenge, and it is available as an option among prostate cancer drugs.

There are several other cancer treatments out there with more being developed each day. Research other treatments such as hyperthermia, stem cell transplants, hormonal therapy, laser treatment, and photodynamic therapy for more options.

What are the different types of cancer drugs?

The most common cancer drugs are chemotherapies and hormone antagonists. There are several different types of cancer drugs to treat breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and others. These are three of the most common types:

Alkylating agents

Alkylating agents are chemotherapy drugs, and they are the oldest class of chemotherapy drugs still used today. They are used to treat a variety of cancers and work by binding to DNA and RNA to cause the breakage of DNA strands during cell replication. This leads to cell death. These types of chemotherapy drugs are used as lung cancer drugs and breast cancer drugs as well as to treat leukemia, brain cancers, and a variety of others.

Anti-metabolites

Anti-metabolites have a similar structure to DNA nucleotides and they work by either becoming part of the DNA or RNA of a cell, or they block enzymes that are required for DNA synthesis, and the cell cannot duplicate itself. Unlike alkylating agents, these cancer drugs only work during a certain phase of the cell cycle. They are used as breast cancer chemotherapy drugs as well as to treat a variety of other cancers.

Cytotoxic antibiotics

Cytotoxic antibiotics are deadly antibiotics used as chemotherapy drugs. They not only affect bacterial cells, but animal cells as well. They work in different ways, but most cytotoxic antibiotic molecules insert themselves between DNA strands, generating free radicals that destroy cells and inhibit enzymes that are necessary to replicate DNA. These medications are used to treat a variety of cancers.

Hormonal Antagonists

Hormonal antagonists are medications that block the production of hormones and are specifically used to treat cancers that involve tissues of the reproductive system. They are commonly used as prostate cancer drugs or breast cancer drugs along with or instead of chemotherapy drugs.

What are the symptoms of cancer?

Most cancers are asymptomatic, especially in the beginning. This means that there aren’t any symptoms. That’s why it is important to have routine checkups and exams and take preventive measures such as stopping smoking, limiting alcohol intake, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Because cancer can occur in any area of the body, symptoms vary. Some symptoms that may appear include lumps or tumors, fever, fatigue, chills, loss of appetite, and finding blood in mucous, stools, or urine.

Cancer Drug Information

Methotrexate
Doxorubicin HCL
Paclitaxel

Methotrexate Information

Methotrexate

Methotrexate, or Rheumatrex in its brand-name form, is an antimetabolite chemotherapy that is commonly used as a breast cancer medication as well as to treat leukemia, lymphoma, and others. It works by stopping the production of enzymes that create folic acid. Folic acid is needed for DNA synthesis; thereby it inhibits the growth of cancer cells. Because this medication stops the production of folic acid, its use is absolutely prohibited in pregnant women. This medication is taken orally as a tablet or it can be injected. For discounts up to 46% off methotrexate, review our coupons.

Doxorubicin HCL Information

Doxorubicin HCL

Doxorubicin, or Adriamycin in its brand-name form, is a topoisomerase enzyme inhibitor and a cytotoxic antibiotic that is used as in lung cancer drugs, breast cancer drugs, leukemia and lymphoma drugs, and a variety of other anti cancer drugs. It works by interfering with DNA replication. See the types of medication section to learn more about how this type of cancer drug works. Doxorubicin is administered intravenously and may cause serious heart problems. Save up to 75% off the usual cost of generic doxorubicin HCL with our discount coupons.

Paclitaxel Information

Paclitaxel

Paclitaxel, or Taxol in its brand-name form, is an anti-microtubule chemotherapy drug. Paclitaxel is a chemical derived from the yew tree and it works by stopping cell division by targeting the tubulin or spindles that are necessary in DNA replication. This medication is given intravenously as a lung, ovarian, or breast cancer medication, among others. Search HelpRx for coupons to get a discount up to 75% off the price of this medication in your pharmacy.