Targeted Therapy of Cancer - Assignment Example

Cancer Research: Targeted Therapy XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX XXXX Cancer The very word Cancer; of Latin origin, is a scourge to humanity claiming its first documented victim in ancient Egypt in the year 1500 B.C. It is an ancient disease in which the uncontrolled segmentation or division process of the cells results in highly irregular deformities of the organs. Cancerous organs, in spite of being abnormal, affect the adjacent organs through cancerous development around the organ or by restricting the nearby organ’s own development. These cells, in some cases spread to different parts of the body via our Lymphatic System or by using blood as a transporting medium. American Cancer Society claims that 7.6 million deaths occurred due to cancer in the year 2007. The disease is also known to have claimed the lives of numerous animals. As old as the disease itself is, research has been conducted throughout history in order to gain maximum information about the disease, its cause and mode of spreading. Different methods have been tested and verified against the disease, some with success while others with utter failure. The modern man has, if not completely then up to an appreciable extent, cured cancer. Many methods and various researches have proven to be effective against this devil of a disease. Research in Cancer Treatment Scores of research has been conducted regarding the treatment methodologies of cancer and many are still under process. The question that surfaces here is that which of these treatments are dependable or suitable? I.e. which ‘one’ treatment would stand out against all others to be highly effective against cancer. To honor our search for the better treatment, I shall briefly describe some off the many treatment methodologies first, and then selecting one; I shall compare it to the others hence reaching to the point where I shall prove (through reliable research analysis) that the selected treatment method, with accordance to the given circumstances; rises above all other methods. Chemotherapy- as the name itself depicts, is a treatment mode using chemicals or complex drugs; individually or in combination (Combination Chemotherapy), to kill certain cancerous cells. The drugs are aimed to target rapidly dividing cells since the cancerous tissue has the property of rapid division. This is achieved by altering the DNA replication of the cells in cancerous tissue or by preventing the separation of Chromosomes in the cells having cancerous tendencies. The drug application in chemotherapy has a tendency to harm healthy tissue but is mostly neutralized through ‘Stem Cell Transplantation’ or ‘hematopoietic stem cells’. Radiation-therapy is a treatment process employing the use of X-Ray’s or other similar ionizing radiation rays to destroy the cancer-tissue. Radiation is targeted at the tissue externally (EBRT) or internally (brachytherapy), to permanently destroy the cells’ division characteristic and alter its genetic materials hence halting any type of cellular growth or division. The radiation is directed only to its specific target and its contact with all other healthy tissue is avoided at the highest level. Radiation therapy harms the healthy cells along with the cancerous cells and hence is applied in fractions or with certain ‘gaps’ to enable maximum healing of the healthy cells. Solid tumors, cancer of the brain, lungs, stomach, etc are all affected widely by this treatment method, but with side effects. Treatment of cancer through ‘surgical excision’ is also one of the ways to tackle cancer though it is not applied to all cases due to the tendency of cancerous tissue to spread to other adjacent organs. Cancer progression normally starts with local development, then spreads to the lymph nodes and then over to the rest of the body. Hence this mode of treatment is mostly limited to the first phase of cancer progression i.e. when it’s surgically operate-able in the local area of development. Surgical handling of cancer is however of great importance in determining the extent of the disease. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is one of the ingenious treatment methodologies utilizing the sensitivity of certain compounds to light. It employs the use of certain photosensitive compounds, a beam of light of certain wavelength and Oxygen. The compounds are transferred to the cancerous tissue through appropriate means and then subjected to specifically directive beams of light that due to its stimulating wavelength excite the compounds which in turn excite Oxygen to a very high degree. Oxygen then depletes the cancerous cells through Necrosis (Death of cell due to its breakdown and that of its organelles) and Apoptosis (Cell-death involving systematic disposal of cell debris.) Targeted therapy is a type of medication that directs itself specifically to the molecules required by the cancer cells for rapid cellular division and growth. They do not interact directly with the cancer cells and are relatively less harmful to other healthy tissue. This method of treatment is thought to be most progressive against cancer as more and more research is carried on this therapy and further developments are under process to improve its quality of being almost side-effect-less. Preferred Treatment Methodology The literature seeks to argument in favor of Targeted therapy as the preferred mode of treatment considering the methodology least harmful, appreciably efficient and most convenient. Following is an assessment of Targeted therapy against other treatment procedures. Targeted therapy Vs. Radiation therapy The very word ‘radiation’ brings to us nothing but doubt about the methodology involved, of course not about its effectiveness, but really; Radiation? No, there’s no doubt about its effectiveness neither is there any doubt about radiation therapy treating cancer, in fact; radiation therapy is found to be highly applied in some health care units…but ‘some’ health care units. Not all adapt to this mode of treatment and it is in no way connected to its efficiency, but rather to its severity, its side-effects the fact that ‘radiation’ has always been known to be harmful; be it minor or major. These side-effects are limited to the area exposed to radiation. Modern radiotherapists aim to reduce the side-effects of radiation exposure to a minimum but still accept the fact that currently these side-effects are mostly long-termed and unavoidable. These side-effects include swelling and inflammation, damage to skin, infertility due to high sensitivity of gonads, hair loss, dryness, fatigue and in some minimal but extreme cases even cancer and death. Now what Targeted therapy offers us against Radiation therapy is absolutely no exposure to ‘radiation’ for one. Compounds are used to target specific molecules required by cancerous cells to grow and divide, and by specific I mean ‘only’ those molecules and not our other cells which make up our hair, skin, heart, gut or other organs. Some cases have been reported of patients reacting to the medication but that is a rare case and surely the mentioned side-effects of Radiation therapy are far more perilous than the rare chance of having side-effects as a result of Targeted therapy. Targeted therapy Vs. Surgery From the days of its origin, surgery has always been an important aspect of health care society and continuous advancements and progress line the pages of history up to the evolution of modern surgery. However, physicians have always and still do prefer to treat any problem or disease externally through medication until or unless it becomes necessary to implement surgical procedures. Similar is the case with Cancer, medication is preferred over surgery. Cancer progression tends to spread to adjacent organs and to other parts of the body through our lymphatic system which makes it highly inconvenient and in most cases impossible to operate. Surgical treatments are applied at the initial phase of local development and even then if not properly operated; a single cell left inside can re-develop into a major cancerous tissue. Considering the complex risks of surgery against the use of medication implying Targeted therapy as the method; a patient has a lower risk-factor involved and a better quality of life assurance. Targeted therapy does not entail any surgical procedures but is merely medicine directed to engage only specific molecules that are vital to the replication of cancerous cells. No contact between the cancerous cells and the medicine takes place neither does the medicine interact with other tissues of the body but only the molecules they are ‘targeted’ to react with; hence given the name “Targeted therapy.” Targeted therapy Vs. Chemo therapy Chemo therapy is a type of medicinal treatment which tends to deploy a range of chemical compounds and drugs in our body, directed at cancerous cells to retard their division. Theses chemical compounds interfere with the replication of DNA in the cancerous cells and the chromosomal stages of the replication of DNA. What chemo therapy does is simply damage the rapidly dividing cells which not only include the cancerous cells but also the rapidly dividing cells of other healthy tissue such as the cells of our intestinal lining. Mostly the damaged cells repair themselves and those that are unable to; are then again medically treated to be repaired after the completion of chemotherapy. But why keep destroying and repairing and again damaging and then again repairing your cells when alternatives are there? Why must a patient subject himself/herself to this sort of medical torture when far better alternatives are there? Why not use Targeted therapy instead of chemotherapy and save yourself of all the trouble. Targeted therapy makes use of certain directive medicine targeted only to the cancerous cells and ‘not’ to other healthy tissue. The chance of a reaction during Targeted therapy are a minimal not to mention the fact that every day new reagents are developed and tested to render improvement to this method of treatment. Chemotherapy on the other hand; has numerous side-effects to it which include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, hemorrhage, depression of the immune system, hair loss, memory loss and more. Some cases may develop into tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) which might even prove fatal. Depression of the immune system is in particular a serious case which gives way to so many more infections and diseases. On the other hand, targeted therapy has a comparatively low reactive ability since its ability and the sole aim is to target only a particular type of molecule. Targeted therapy Vs. Photodynamic therapy Photodynamic therapy is one of the treatment methods on which modern research is currently bent upon along with Targeted therapy. Nevertheless, the research up to the current point has not yet achieved that certain level of perfection to out run targeted therapy. The use of photo sensitizers is indeed an ingenious advancement but the fact that the beams cannot penetrate deeper than 1 cm does exemplify the need for further improvements. If the rays don’t go deep enough they don’t activate the light sensitive compounds within, which in turn would not form excited oxygen and no destruction of cancerous cells takes place. Its implementation on skin cancers has been a great success yet the ‘range’ problem limits its use against cancers of internal organs. Even if the use of endoscopes and fiber optics is employed to treat the internal tissue; the rays would not be able to penetrate the organs more than a single centimeter; Effective, perhaps against the outer lining of cancerous cells on the organs but enough to treat them completely. Targeted therapy on the other hand has reached a higher level of certainty to achieve the damage targeted to cancerous cells, than photodynamic therapy. Using advanced medicine and more developed range of compounds that are ‘programmed’ to target only desired elements; targeted therapy occupies an eminent place in the list of treatment methodologies for cancer. Conclusion The supportive literature stated above clarifies the use of targeted therapy over Radiation therapy, Surgical Excision, Chemotherapy and Photodynamic therapy. However, it must be stated that different treat methodologies would be preferred by physician regarding different cases depending upon the medical condition of the subject, his/her tolerance to the mode of treatment, availability of facilities, severity of the disease or other environmental factors. If given ideal circumstances, and up to the current research status; targeted therapy tops all. References “Molecular Oncology: Receptor-Based Therapy” Journal of Clinical Oncology (April 10, 2005) “New Directions in Cancer Care” Molecular targeted therapies. http://www.targetedtherapy.info/wt/page/mtt Lynch TJ Jr, Kim ES, Eaby B et al. Epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor–associated cutaneous toxicities: An evolving paradigm in clinical management. The Oncologist 2007;12:610–621 American Cancer Society. (1999). Cancer Facts and Figures, 1999. Atlanta, GA: Author Read More