Targeted therapy uses drugs to precisely target specific molecules (for example, proteins) within cancer cells or on their surfaces. It is used to:
There are different types of targeted therapy drugs, and they each work differently depending on what molecule (gene or protein) the drug is targeting.
Some of the targeted therapy drugs target specific proteins in cancer cells not found in normal cells.
Other targeted therapy drugs focus on mutated proteins or genes in cancer cells.
There are many different types of targeted therapy drugs, and they are put into groups based on how they work. The two main groups of targeted therapy drugs are monoclonal antibodies and small molecule inhibitors.
Many different targeted therapies have been approved for use in cancer treatment. These therapies include hormone, signal transduction, gene expression modulators, apoptosis inducers, angiogenesis, immunotherapies, and toxin delivery molecules.
Targeted therapy modifies proteins within cancer cells that cause those cells to die. Prevent new blood vessels from forming, which cuts the blood supply to tumor, tells the mmune system to attack the cancer cells, and deliver toxins that kill cancer cells without harming healthy cells.
Like other drugs used to treat cancer, targeted therapy drugs are technically considered chemotherapy. But targeted therapy drugs work differently from chemotherapy in two key ways:
Authored by Dr K Srinivas Rao - Best Radiation Oncologist in Nallagandla, Hyderabad