Introduction to Cancer Treatment Methods
Comprehensive Analysis of Treatment Approaches - Surgery, Chemotherapy, Radiotherapy, Targeted Therapy, Immunotherapy, Adjunct Therapy, and Personalized Medicine
Cancer treatment methods continue to advance with medical research and technological development, covering traditional therapies, emerging technologies, adjunct therapies, and personalized medicine. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of cancer treatment, supported by scientific research, to assist patients and healthcare professionals in formulating optimal treatment strategies.
The core objectives of cancer treatment include eliminating cancer cells, controlling disease progression, and improving patients’ quality of life. Treatment strategies vary based on cancer type, stage, and individual differences and can be classified into the following categories:
- Local Therapy: Targets specific areas of cancer cells, such as surgery and radiotherapy.
- Systemic Therapy: Affects the entire body, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy.
- Adjuvant Therapy: Treatments like postoperative chemotherapy and radiotherapy to reduce the risk of recurrence.
- Palliative Therapy: Aims to enhance the quality of life and alleviate symptoms for patients with advanced cancer.
Cancer Treatment Methods - Traditional Cancer Treatment Methods
Surgical treatment is used for the removal of localized tumors and is commonly applied to early-stage breast cancer, lung cancer, gastric cancer, etc.
– Curative Surgery: Complete removal of the tumor.
– Debulking Surgery: Reducing tumor size to improve the effectiveness of other treatments.
– Palliative Surgery: Alleviating complications caused by cancer.
Chemotherapy uses chemical drugs to kill rapidly dividing cancer cells and is effective for systemic or metastatic cancers.
– Adjuvant Chemotherapy: Postoperative chemotherapy to prevent recurrence.
– Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Preoperative chemotherapy to shrink tumors and improve surgical success.
Radiotherapy utilizes high-energy radiation to destroy cancer cell DNA and is applicable for head and neck cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, etc.
– External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT): Precisely targets the tumor.
– Brachytherapy: Places a radiation source inside the tumor for targeted therapy.
Cancer Therapies—Emerging Cancer Therapies
Recent breakthroughs in cancer treatment include gene engineering, immune regulation, and cellular therapies, enhancing precision and efficacy.
Types of Targeted Therapy:
- Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs): Act on mutated genes such as EGFR, HER2, ALK, and MET.
– Osimertinib: EGFR-mutated lung cancer.
– Crizotinib: ALK-mutated lung cancer.
– Lapatinib: HER2-positive breast cancer.
- Monoclonal Antibody Therapy: Targets protein receptors on cancer cells (e.g., HER2, VEGF).
– Trastuzumab (Herceptin): HER2-positive breast cancer.
– Bevacizumab: Blocks tumor angiogenesis.
- Angiogenesis Inhibitors: Suppress tumor blood vessel formation, limiting nutrient supply.
– Bevacizumab: Anti-angiogenesis drug.
Mechanism: Enhances the immune system’s ability to recognize and attack cancer cells using T cells and NK cells.
Types of Immunotherapy:
- Checkpoint Inhibitors: Block PD-1, PD-L1, or CTLA-4 immune escape mechanisms.
– Pembrolizumab (Keytruda), Nivolumab (Opdivo).
- CAR-T Cell Therapy: Genetically modifies patient’s T cells to recognize and destroy cancer cells.
– Kymriah: Leukemia.
– Yescarta: Lymphoma.
- Dendritic Cell Therapy (DC Therapy): Activates the immune system by presenting cancer antigens.
– Sipuleucel-T: Prostate cancer treatment.
- Natural Killer (NK) Cell Therapy: Directly attacks cancer cells without antigen presentation.
– Potential applications in lymphoma, leukemia, lung cancer.
– Uses low-intensity alternating electric fields to disrupt cancer cell division.
– FDA-approved for glioblastoma (GBM) and malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM).
– Blocks cancer cell mRNA to prevent protein synthesis, inhibiting growth.
– Applications: Leukemia, melanoma.
– Representative drugs: Fomivirsen, Oblimersen.
Goals of Cancer Treatment
The goals of cancer treatment depend on the patient’s condition and primarily include:
- Cure: Completely eradicating cancer cells, typically applicable to early-stage cancers.
- Control: Suppressing cancer cell growth, suitable for progressive or high-recurrence-risk cancers.
- Symptom Relief: Alleviating pain and improving quality of life, particularly for advanced-stage cancers.
- Recurrence Prevention: Reducing the likelihood of cancer recurrence through adjuvant therapy.
Summarize
These emerging cancer treatments offer more precise and selective treatments than traditional chemotherapy, and many technologies are continuing to develop and optimize. With the advancement of gene therapy, immunotherapy and cell therapy, the success rate of cancer treatment will be further improved in the future, providing patients with longer survival opportunities and better quality of life.
Adjunct Cancer Therapies
1. High-Dose Vitamin C Therapy
– May boost immunity and reduce treatment side effects.
– IV high-dose vitamin C could enhance the effectiveness of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
2. Human Albumin
– Improves nutrition, especially for patients experiencing weight loss or protein depletion.
– Used in combination with nab-paclitaxel for pancreatic cancer treatment.
3. Immunoglobulin Therapy
– Enhances immune function in immunocompromised cancer patients.
– Reduces infection risks post-chemotherapy.
Personalized and Precision Medicine
– Detects cancer cells in the bloodstream, providing real-time cancer progression insights.
– Applications: Early detection, disease monitoring, recurrence risk prediction.
– Identifies genetic mutations to guide targeted therapy decisions.
– Applications: Monitoring treatment response, predicting recurrence.
– Analyzes cancer cell responses to various drugs for precise treatment planning.
– Evaluates the effects of different nutritional supplements on cancer cells to enhance treatment outcomes.
Day Oncology Treatment
- Concept: No hospitalization is required and patients can return home after treatment.
- Applicable therapies: chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, etc.
- Advantages: Reduce the risk of hospitalized infection and reduce medical costs.
Multidisciplinary Cancer Care Team
Team Members
- Oncologist: Manages chemotherapy and targeted therapy.
- Radiation Oncologist: Plans radiotherapy.
- Surgeon: Performs tumor removal surgery.
- Pathologist: Analyzes tumor tissues for diagnosis.
- Nutritionist: Provides dietary guidance.
- Psycho-oncologist: Offers psychological support.
Scientific References
- [Taiwan Medical Association – CAR-T Therapy in Hematologic Malignancies](https://www.tma.tw/ltk/108621204.pdf)
- [X-MOL Biomedical – Advances in Small Molecule Drugs for Cancer Treatment](https://www.x-mol.com/paper/1713007511915483136)
- [Taiwan Ministry of Health – Precision Medicine in Cancer Treatment](https://ldts.mohw.gov.tw/upload/cont_att/e3563458-db8f-486a-a386-45a16b1179c5.pdf)