Cancer can be merciless, but more and more often, thanks to prophylaxis, new drugs or surgical techniques, it is possible to win over cancer. In many cases, it simply becomes a chronic disease with which you can live up to 20 years or more. What are the advances in cancer treatment?
" Cancer " includes at least 200 different disease entities. Each has a different cause and develops differently. From the report of the National RegistryCancerpublished in February 2011 shows that for 30 years in Poland the number of cases ofcancerhas been growing rapidly. Fortunately, the number of patients who manage to win the disease is also growing. thanks to new and more effective methods of treatment, but also because an increasing number of people understand that prophylaxis, i.e. a hygienic lifestyle, and check-ups increase the chance of survival.
Lights and shadows of targeted therapy
It aims to inhibit abnormal metabolic processes that stimulate the division of neoplastic cells. In addition, it is less burdensome to the body and does not give such troublesome side effects as classic chemotherapy. But not every patient - due to the individual course of the disease, i.e. the biology of the tumor - can be used. In order for it to bring the expected results, additional diagnostic tests are necessary. For example, some cancer cells have many molecules of a certain type of receptor (HER2) on their surface. Then herceptin therapy is effective, as it destroys this type of pathogenic cells. The problem is that the excess of HER2 occurs only in about 20 percent. tumors. Using the drug in other cases does not make sense, because the treatment will not be effective. The belief in the extraordinary possibilities of targeted therapies is not entirely true. After years of using such therapies, it is known that they do not destroy all the cancer cells in the body. It turns out that the fewer cancer cells start to dominate at some point and the previously used drug has no effect on them. But scientists do not stop at work - new preparations are made, and there is always hope that one of them will deal effectively with the new threat.Currently, targeted therapy is successfully used in the treatment of lung, breast, kidney, liver, gastrointestinal stromal tumors and lymphomas.
Proton radiotherapy - what is it about
Electrons and electromagnetic radiation used in conventional radiotherapy, as well as protons, belong to ionizing radiation. It can damage the DNA of cells in which genetic information is located. If there is little such damage, the cell's repair system will deal with it and the cell will live. When there is a lot of damage, the cell will die. The amount and type of damage in cells depends on the amount of energy that will go to them due to radiation. However, ionizing radiation can damage both he althy and cancer cells. The aim of radiotherapy is to irradiate the patient in such a way as to destroy cancer cells, limiting damage to he althy ones. Such possibilities are offered by proton radiotherapy. Thanks to special devices, protons emit little energy while passing through he althy tissues, and therefore do not destroy them too much. Maximum energy is produced when protons reach the tumor. This method is used worldwide to treat head and neck, prostate and eye cancers.
Effects in cancer research
Increasing knowledge of cancer biology has not eliminated traditional treatment from treatment. Surgical removal of the tumor is still the most effective therapy in cases where the disease is localized in one place. Improved laparoscopic techniques are more and more often used in oncosurgery, which make it possible to perform extensive operations without the need to open the abdominal wall. New possibilities are provided by surgical robots - they allow for more precise excision of diseased tissue, reduce complications, and accelerate convalescence. Unfortunately, there is only one such device in Poland. It is at the disposal of the Provincial Specialist Hospital in Wrocław. Current knowledge about neoplasms and their development has led to the fact that doctors not always and not at all costs strive to completely kill the patient's neoplastic cells. It is known that in many cases it is more beneficial for the patient to apply milder therapy and extend his life than to kill both the tumor and the patient at the same time. A classic example is prostate cancer diagnosed in elderly men. It develops so slowly that no treatment is needed if the patient is urinating normally.
Hopes in vaccines
Scientists have long worked to create vaccines against skin cancer - melanoma. Unfortunately, so farno clinical trials have proven their effectiveness. However, it was possible to create a drug that prolongs the life of patients, even with disseminated melanoma. The situation is somewhat different with the vaccine to protect against the human papillomavirus (HPV), strains of which contribute to the development of cervical cancer. The vaccine was launched on the market. It seems very valuable, but the observation period for vaccinated patients is still too short to be 100% sure that the immunity is complete. There is also no guarantee that the side effects of the vaccine will not appear after many years.
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