However, with the development of science and technology, there are more ways to treat cancer. Compared with the commonly used "three means" of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, targeted therapy shines brilliantly in the field of cancer treatment because of its remarkable curative effect and low toxicity.
Many patients are still puzzled by the emerging cancer treatment methods. What is targeted therapy and does it have any disadvantages?
Advantages of targeted therapy: Bio-missile, precision therapy Targeted therapy, is a treatment method that allows targeted drugs to recognize and bind to the carcinogenic sites of tumor cells, thus preventing tumor cells from proliferating and leading to specific death of tumor cells.
If the process of clearing cancer cells is compared to a war, there are not only enemies (cancer cells) but also teammates (normal cells) in this war. Chemotherapy is similar to a weapon that does not distinguish between the enemy and the enemy. This will not only hurt the enemy, but also hurt our own people.
On the other hand, targeted drugs are like precision-made missiles. Carcinogenic site is the marker, and targeted therapy is aimed at it. The idiom "targeted therapy" can describe the principle of targeted therapy in a popular way.
Therefore, the benefits of targeted therapy are obvious, which can not only treat accurately, but also greatly reduce the harm to the body.
Limitations of targeted therapy-the best effect is to correspond to specific genes. Unfortunately, targeted therapy still has some shortcomings, which is why it can't completely replace chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Localized 1- drug resistance is the biggest defect of targeted therapy. At the beginning of treatment, targeted drugs may be effective.
However, after continuous medication for a period of time, some patients will have increased tumor markers, enlarged tumors, and even tumor metastasis, which means that cancer cells have developed drug resistance.
The reason for this is that during the treatment, cancer cells will also mutate, resulting in the disappearance of the site of targeted drugs.
Just like a one-to-one key and lock, targeted drugs are still keys, but cancer cells are no longer locks, and the keys are naturally useless.
If patients develop drug resistance during treatment, they should change the treatment plan in time, choose other targeted drugs or continue treatment in other ways.
Limitation 2:- Not every patient is suitable for targeted therapy. When carrying out targeted therapy, it is often seen that everyone is suffering from the same cancer. Why are targeted drugs only effective for some patients?
This is because not all patients have the same type of gene mutation, and a targeted drug generally only targets one mutation.
This feature not only ensures the accurate treatment of targeted therapy, but also leads to the limitations of targeted therapy.
Therefore, gene testing before targeted therapy is necessary. Only by determining one's own gene locus can we find the corresponding targeted drugs.
Limitation 3-Expensive targeted drugs are expensive, which makes many patients discouraged. For many patients in ordinary families, a box of several thousand pieces of medicine is really unbearable.
Limitation 4-There are still some side effects. Although the side effects of targeted therapy are relatively light compared with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, it does not mean that there are no side effects at all.
Some patients will have mild adverse reactions, such as diarrhea and nausea, and a few patients will have more serious adverse reactions. Therefore, before using targeted drugs, we must be familiar with its side effects and be mentally prepared.
Targeted therapy is another important means of cancer treatment. Although its accuracy will bring more significant therapeutic effects to specific patients, it is not suitable for everyone. In the process of treatment, we should communicate closely with doctors and choose the treatment method that is most suitable for our own condition.