A direct hit against cancer: the latest targeted therapies
Many of us have witnessed it up close and personal as a family member or friend with cancer has gone through conventional chemotherapy and radiation therapy. While these treatments are still highly effective for killing cancer cells, they also damage normal tissue. That's because they penetrate the whole body or a significant portion of it, not just the cancerous tissue.
Targeted therapy is the future
Taking better aim with radiation
Never one size fits all
The "gold standard" of cancer care
Targeted therapy is the future
Ashok Bapat, MD, medical director of the Fox Chase Virtua Health Cancer Program at West Jersey Hospitals, says: "The era of chemotherapy is being eclipsed by newer targeted therapies. These 'direct hits' attack cancer at its molecular level by stopping new cancer cells from developing or significantly hindering their growth. And, there is usually far less damage to healthy tissue — unlike chemotherapy, a systemic treatment, which affects the entire body."
A case in point is Gleevec, a breakthrough drug for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Dr. Bapat explains: "This unique medication blocks an enzyme, the abnormal protein responsible for transforming a cell into a leukemic cell. Gleevec has made a dramatic improvement in patients with CML while producing only mild side effects. And since it is an oral medication, it is easy to take. Other targeted therapies, such as Herceptin, are also making an impact on patients with malignancies such as advanced breast cancer. Herceptin is an FDA-approved monoclonal antibody produced in the laboratory and designed to perform one very specific task: It targets breast cancer cells that express too much HER-2 protein, a protein overproduced by certain types of cancer cells. When used with conventional chemotherapy, Herceptin slows or stops the growth of these cells, improving survival and alleviating symptoms."
Taking better aim with radiation
Deborah Butzbach, MD, a radiation oncologist affiliated with the Fox Chase Virtua Health Cancer Program at Memorial Hospital, explains how new intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) targets cancer: "Unlike conventional radiation, which irradiates the tumor with two or four larger beams, IMRT delivers 10, 12 or more radiation beams that are smaller, more focused and actually conform to the size and shape of the tumor. Prior to treatment, a sophisticated computer program maps out a three-dimensional diagram of the tumor that is used during therapy. IMRT is ideal for some patients with localized, aggressive prostate cancer. It allows physicians to irradiate the tumor with highly specific radiation 'blasts' while doing less damage to the rectum and bladder."
Another staple in the targeted therapy arsenal is brachytherapy. Here, a radiation source, often contained in tiny metal pellets, is injected or inserted into the body directly at the source of the tumor. The cancer-destroying power of the radiation is focused on the abnormal tissue while sparing the healthy tissue. Brachytherapy is indicated for some patients with prostate cancer and cervical cancer.
Never one size fits all
All cancer therapy has highly specific indications. Even if two individuals have the same kind of cancer, the same type of treatment may not be appropriate. The size and location of the tumor, the stage of the disease and many other factors will indicate whether or not a particular treatment is right for a particular patient.
The "gold standard" of cancer care
All state-of-the-art methods of cancer diagnosis, treatment and follow-through are available from Fox Chase Virtua Health Cancer Program. Virtua offers access to major clinical research trials, including those from the National Institutes of Health, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and the American College of Surgeons.
For more information about cancer therapy or clinical trials, or to make an appointment with a Virtua oncologist, radiation oncologist or surgeon, call 1-888-Virtua-3.