Cancer Treatment or Treatments?
A different look at "Therapy"
Wait, there's actually more?
People, when they think of Cancer treatment, automatically think of Chemotherapy; seeing how that is the most common. But, is that the only way to help rid off the monster?
Has anyone ever heard of Targeted Therapy? Probably not, but it is actually a very common type of therapy/treatment.
What it does is just like the name says, it "targets" the cancers specific genes, the proteins and also the tissue enviorment that surrounds the cancer cell and contributes to the growth. Unlike Chemotherapy which destroys the "bad" cells along with the "good" cells, Targeted Therapy actually stops and blocks the growth of the Cancer cell along with protecting the cells already in your body, "usually leading to fewer side effects than other cancer medications." (A)
Are the side effects......brutal?
According to www.Cancer.net ; "Targeted treatments often have specific side effects involving the skin, hair, and nails or other areas of the body. Learn more about skin reaction to targeted therapies. Talk with your doctor about what side effects to expect and how to manage them."
What was the first target for targeted cancer treatment?
The female sex hormone Estrogen was the first molecular targeted cancer treatment which, many breast cancers require for growth. "When estrogen binds to the estrogen receptor (ER) inside cells, the resulting hormone-receptor complex activates the expression of specific genes, including genes involved in cell growth and proliferation."(B) http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/targeted
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picture found from: www.lung.org
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picture found from: www.pharmatutor.org
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picture found from: www.aafp.com
photo from: www.megascape.org