One of the drawbacks of conventional chemotherapy treatments is that the drugs kill both cancer cells and healthy cells indiscriminately. Targeted cancer therapy has been a valuable breakthrough in focusing treatment directly on cancer cells while sparing healthy ones.
Targeted Cancer Therapy: A Major Step Forward
Standard chemotherapy drugs go after cells with rapid growth and division. Problems arise because that can also be a trait of certain normal cells, and the drugs can’t tell the difference between the two.
Targeted cancer therapy is technically a form of chemo, but the way it works is more closely aligned with immunotherapy for cancer, which aids the body’s natural immune response. Instead of attacking cells globally, targeted therapy zeroes in on the gene changes that distinguish cancer cells from healthy ones.
How Does Targeted Therapy Attack Cancer Cells?
Targeted drugs have a number of “weapons” in their cancer-fighting arsenal. Some essentially starve cancer cells by cutting off blood vessel production or altering proteins within the cells. Others work in tandem with the immune system, alerting it to the presence of cancer cells that might otherwise escape detection.
While targeted cancer therapy comes with some side effects, they are generally fewer and less serious than the ones that accompany chemotherapy. Targeted therapy is sometimes used on its own, but more often it’s used in combination with conventional chemo, radiation or other treatments.
State-of-the-Art Immunotherapy for Cancer at Issels®
At Issels®, our individually tailored treatment programs include targeted therapy, cancer vaccines and other cutting-edge techniques to work with your body’s immune system. Contact us to learn more about our non-toxic protocols.