Advanced and targeted treatment for lung cancer
Targeted therapy specifically targets cancer cells. It is very different from chemotherapy. Targeted treatment works by target specific genes or proteins to stop the lung cancer cells from growing or multiplying. Doctors often use advanced and targeted treatment for lung cancer with chemotherapy and other modalities.
What are the objectives of targeted treatment?
Cancer starts when genes in a healthy cell change and this known as a gene mutation. In targeted therapy, drugs block proteins that help in cell division or cell growth. They ultimately killing cancer cells. Consequently, the targeted therapy drugs carry out the following functions:
- Firstly, they destroy cancer cells
- Secondly, they keep cells from living longer than normal
- Finally, they block or turn off signals that tell cancer cells to grow and divide
Types of targeted treatments for lung cancer
There are two main types of targeted treatment, namely:
Monoclonal Antibodies
Drugs known as monoclonal antibodies are drugs that target the outside of a cancer cell or the area around the cancer cells. They sometimes send toxic substances to the cancer cells. This kind of treatment helps patients with chemotherapy and radiation. The drugs used here are often administered intravenously. They are known as anti-angiogenesis inhibitors. Anti-angiogenesis inhibitors are drugs that keep the tissue around the tumor from growing by stopping the blood supply
The most common monoclonal antibodies are:
- Ramucirumab
- Bevacizumab
Small molecule drugs
Small molecule drugs block the process that helps cancer cells grow and multiply. These drugs are usually oral pills.
The most common anti angiogenesis drugs are:
