A History of Cancer Treatment: From Surgery to Traditional Remedies

Cancer treatment evolution:

1. Surgical intervention: Ancient tumor excision, amputation.
2. Traditional medicine: Herbal remedies, folk treatments.
3. Radiation therapy (radium): Late 19th century; radium salts applied locally.
4. X-ray therapy: Post-1895; high-energy X-rays target tumors.
5. Chemotherapy: Early 20th century concept; modern cytotoxic drugs from 1940s.
6. Hormonal therapy: Early 20th century for hormone-sensitive cancers (breast, prostate).
7. Targeted therapy: Late 20th century; drugs against specific molecular pathways.
8. Immunotherapy: Recent; checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T, cancer vaccines harness immune system.

Advances in science and technology continue to yield more effective approaches.