Innovative cancer treatments are developing options that will contribute to the life expectancy and quality of patients. While classical chemotherapy applications maintain their place and validity in treatment, targeted applications such as smart drugs and immunotherapies increase the success rate.
The importance of chemotherapy, which is considered the gold standard in the treatment of many cancer types, is still valid today. The properties of special drugs to stop the growth and spread of cancer cells are used. Tumor characteristics and personalized treatment options are the ultimate in cancer treatment.
Patient and Tumor Cell Specific Drug Treatments
In addition to standard chemotherapies, smart drugs and immunotherapies that are specially planned for the patient and tumor cell are applied. Drugs and immunotherapies that target only the tumor and do not have a negative effect on healthy cells are used in combination with chemotherapy or alone in appropriate patients.
Minimal Side Effects with Targeted Smart Medicines
In other words, the negative side effects of chemotherapy in cancer, which also affect the psychology of patients, are reduced by the targeted smart drugs used today. “Target-oriented smart drugs”, which are frequently used for all types of cancer and provide successful results in treatment with their new derivatives, are used by mouth or intravenously. Smart drugs, which have the feature of targeting cancer cells and minimize the side effects on healthy cells, also reduce side effects such as hair and eyebrow loss and increase the quality of life of patients. These drugs also have the feature of inhibiting the growth signals of the cancer cell, creating a strong effect on the tumor, preventing the cancer cell from attaching to the growth receptors and preventing the cancerous mass from receiving a growth stimulus.
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Classical Chemotherapy and Targeted Treatment Are Different From Each Other
By giving the desired amount of chemotherapy drug to the cancer, the diseased area can be completely eliminated. However, due to the side effects of the drug in the body, chemotherapy cannot be applied at high doses, which affects the success of the treatment. In classical chemotherapy, side effects occur because healthy cells cannot be separated from cancer cells and healthy cells are affected by the drug during treatment. Since chemotherapy has a feature that affects rapidly dividing cells, rapidly dividing normal cells such as hair and mucosa are also affected.
In smart drugs, on the other hand, cancer cells are targeted “specifically”, so that an effective treatment is applied and a high success rate is achieved. The individual’s tumor cells are tested for compatibility with the targeted drug, and if it is possible for the patient to get the most benefit from this treatment, targeted drug therapy is started. Since these special treatments have a mechanism to distinguish between tumor cells and healthy cells, health cells are damaged at the least level and side effects in the patient are minimized.
Effective in Many Types of Cancer
Targeted drugs are applied in many types of cancer, especially in brain tumors, head and neck, lung, stomach, breast, kidney and prostate cancer. The increase in the use of these drugs, which have small molecule or antibody structure due to the developments in smart drug technologies, does not eliminate the existence of classical chemotherapies. Smart drugs are applied in combination with chemotherapy in some types of cancer.
High Chance of Success in Treatment
The fact that the patient is suitable to use targeted drugs and receives these treatments also positively affects the healing process. For example, those who use smart drugs in breast cancer benefit from treatment 50% more than those who do not. In lung cancer, the effect of smart drugs on the treatment success of the patient is 60-70%. With smart drugs targeting cancerous cells, patients not only increase their life expectancy and treatment success, but also increase their quality of life.
Immune System Cells Support Cancer Treatment
Immunotherapy
It is known that many cells in the body fight cancer, but this effect of the cells can occur up to a certain point. Today, immunotherapies, which are among the most targeted treatments of cancer, use the person’s own immune system and defense mechanisms. Immunotherapy defends the body’s immune system more effectively against the attacks of cancerous cells. It can stop the spread and growth of cancerous cells.
In immunotherapy, also called biological or biotherapy, materials produced either by the body or in the laboratory are used to improve and repair the body’s defense system function. Immunotherapy treats cancer in 3 main ways.
Monoclonal Antibodies
In immunotherapy, also called biological or biotherapy, materials produced either by the body or in the laboratory are used to improve and repair the body’s defense system function. The goal is to prevent the spread of cancer to other parts of the body by slowing or stopping the growth of cancer cells. When the body’s immune system detects harmful substances such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites, which are antigens, it produces “antibody”, that is, infection-fighting protein. Monoclonal antibodies produced in the laboratory, when administered to the patient, act like antibodies naturally produced by the body, targeting faulty genes or proteins that contribute to the growth and development of cancerous cells. There are different types of immunotherapy treatments, including monoclonal antibodies, non-specific immunotherapies, and cancer vaccines.
What Effect Do Monoclonal Antibodies Have When Bind to Cancer Cell?
- Inhibits rapid growth of cancer cells
- Chemicals in the body called growth factors bind to receptors on the surface of cells, sending signals that tell cells to grow.
- Some cancer cells make additional copies of the growth factor receptor, which makes cancer cells grow faster than normal cells. Monoclonal antibodies can block these receptors and prevent the growth signal from passing.
- Some monoclonal antibodies deliver other cancer drugs directly to cancer cells. Once monoclonal antibodies bind to the cancer cell, the cancer treatment it carries enters the cell and causes the death of the cancer cells without harming other healthy cells.
Fighting cancer with non-specific immunotherapy applications.
Non-specific immunotherapies are performed in cancer either as the main treatment or at the same time as or after chemotherapy and radiotherapy. These treatments, like monoclonal antibodies, help the immune system to destroy cancer cells. Two types of non-specific immunotherapy are commonly used.
Interferon: A form of treatment that helps the immune system fight cancer. It can slow the growth of cancer cells. Laboratory-produced interferon alfa is widely used in the treatment of cancer, and side effects such as flu-like symptoms, increased risk of infection, rashes and thinning hair may occur during treatment.
Interleukins: These are treatments that help the immune system and produce cells that destroy cancer cells. Side effects may include low blood pressure and weight gain. Some patients may experience flu-like symptoms.
Vaccines both treat cancer and prevent recurrence.
The vaccine used in cancer treatment has a feature that exposes the immune system to protein (antigen). in this way, it stimulates the immune system to recognize or destroy protein and related materials. Two types of vaccines are used in the treatment.
Prevention vaccine: It is administered to a person who has no symptoms of cancer in order to prevent the development of a certain type of cancer or some other cancer-related disease.
Treatment vaccine: It is used to fight cancer by training the body’s immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. This vaccine can prevent cancer recurrence. Thanks to the vaccine, the remaining cancer cells can be destroyed or cancer cell growth can be stopped.
