Oncology:

Oncology is a branch of medicine that researches, identifies and treats cancers. A physician who deals with oncology is regarded as oncologist.

Oncology includes:

• Surgical Oncology
• Radiation Oncology
• Medical Oncology

 

Breast Cancer:

Breast cancer is a disease characterized when the cells in the breast becomes abnormal and multiply uncontrollably. These cells usually form a tumor which is visible on an X-ray or felt as a lump. If left untreated the tumor cells may eventually spread beyond the original tumor to other parts of the body.

Breast cancer can start from different parts of the breast. Most breast cancers begin in the duct that carries milk to the nipple.  

Types of breast cancers:

• Invasive breast cancer:

In this type, the tumor cells breakthrough normal breast tissue barriers and spread to other parts of the body through the bloodstreams and lymph nodes.

• Non-invasive breast cancer:

In this type, the tumor cells remains in particular location of the breast without spreading to the other parts of the body.

 

Gynecology Cancer:

Gynecologic cancers are the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells originates in the woman’s reproductive organs.

The five main type of gynecologic cancer are:

• Cervical
• Ovarian
• Uterus
• Vaginal &
• Vulvar

Clinical Research in Women’s Oncology:

Clinical research is a branch of medical science that empowers Researchers & Physicians to discover new and better approaches to comprehend, identify, control & treat human illness. A clinical research study is designed to answer specific questions about possible new treatments or new ways of using existing treatments.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) divides clinical research into three main categories:

• Patient-oriented research. Conducted with humans or on material of human origin, such as tissues and specimens. It includes mechanisms of human disease, therapeutic interventions, clinical trials and development of new technologies.
• Epidemiologic and behavioral studies. Examine the distribution of disease, the factors that affect people’s health and how people make health-related decisions.
• Outcomes research and health services research. Endeavor to identify the most effective and most efficient interventions, treatments and services.

 

Prognosis & Pathophysiology:

Prognosis:
In Medical terminology Prognosis is related to estimate the probability or risk of an individual developing a particular state of health over a specific time, based on his or her clinical & Non- clinical profile. The main motto of Prognosis research is to determine the probability of the specified outcome with different combinations of predictors in well-defined populations. Prognosis research requires multivariable approaches to design and analysis and the best design to address the Prognostic questions is a cohort study.

Pathophysiology:
Pathophysiology is the study of deranged function in an individual or an organ due to a disease. It deals with the causes of diseases and dynamics disease processes.

 

Epidemiology of Women Cancer:

The word Epidemiology is originated from the Greek words, epi-upon, demos-people, and logos- the study of. According to Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Epidemiology is defined as the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations, and the application of this study to control of health problems.

Reproductive Health Issues:

As defined by the World Health Organization (WHO):

It addresses the reproductive processes, functions & systems at all stages of life. Reproductive health, therefore, implies that people are able to have a responsible, satisfying sex life and that they have the capability to reproduce and the freedom to decide if, when and how often to do so.

 

Immunotherapy & Stem cell therapy:

Immunotherapy:

Immunotherapy also called as Biological therapy, is a cancer treatment that uses substances made from body’s own immune system or in a laboratory to improve or restore immune system to fight against cancer.

There are several types of Immunotherapy, including:

• Monoclonal antibodies
• Non-specific immunotherapies
• Oncolytic Virus therapy
• T-cell therapy

 

Stem cell therapy:

Stem cell transplants are procedures that restore blood forming stem cells in people who have had theirs destroyed by the very high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy that are used to treat cancer.

 

Radiotherapy:

Radiotherapy is the medical use of ionizing radiation as a part of cancer treatment to control malignant cells. Radiotherapy is commonly used to for the treatment of malignant tumors, and may be used as a primary therapy. It is also common to combine radiotherapy with surgery/chemotherapy and/or hormone therapy. The precise treatment intent will depend on the tumor type, location, stage, as well as the general health of the patient.

 

Chemotherapy & Chemotherapeutic agents:

As a part of body’s natural process, cells are constantly replaced through a process of dividing and growing. When cancer occurs, cells reproduce in an uncontrolled manner. To impair, or prevent cell division Chemotherapy drugs are used. The term chemotherapy refers to the drugs that prevent cancer cells from dividing & growing.

Surgery and radiation therapy remove, kill, or damage cancer cells in a certain area, but chemo can work throughout the whole body. This means chemo can kill cancer cells that have spread (metastasized) to parts of the body far away from the original (primary) tumor.

There are 4 major categories of chemotherapeutic agents:

• Alkylating agents
• Antimetabolites
• Plant alkaloids
• Antitumor antibiotics

 

Oncology Nursing:

An Oncology Nurse provides care for cancer patients and those at risk for getting the disease. They monitor physical conditions, prescribe medication, and administer chemotherapy and other treatments.

The oncology nurse must be able to understand pathology results and their implications, and have an in-depth knowledge of the expected side effects of cancer treatments.  The oncology nurse must also use her interpersonal skills to listen to the patient, assessing their understanding of the disease and its process as well as the patient’s emotional state.

 

Precision Medicine:

According to the Precision Medicine Initiative, precision medicine is “an emerging approach for disease treatment and prevention that takes into account individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle for each person.”

The difference between a traditional shrewd assessment of a complex situation and true “precision medicine” is the degree of reliance on data – especially genomic data – to make decisions about specific treatment paths that may be more or less effective for the individual at hand.

 

Cancer is leading cause of death worldwide among women in both the Developed Nations and Underdeveloped Nations. Females make up to 49.5% of the world Population and they continue to form larger proportions over the years among whom the Cancer is occurring frequently. The most common Cancers among Women are Breast, Lung, Liver, Ovary, and Colorectal which account for about 60% of Cancer Cases and death among women worldwide. According to the reports from leading companies in the market, it was found that there is an intense Competitive Scenario, Companies putting more focus on Research and Development Activities with the view of Developing Innovative & Cost Effective product Varieties. Companies are also putting more emphasis on acquisitions and mergers in a bid to consolidate their positions and the market in general.  According to the reports, the Products market will expand at a CAGR of 5% over the period between 2016 & 2024, rising from a valuation of US$2.6 billion in 2015 to US$4.2 billion by 2024. North America is the leading market with a market share value of nearly US$1 billion in 2015, exhibiting a healthy CAGR of 4.9% over the period between 2016 and 2024. It is likely to remain one of the most promising marketplaces for Women’s Products in the near future as well. Europe is the second largest segment of global market.