Targeted therapy for cancer

Targeted therapy uses specific drugs to treat cancer. It’s a personalized treatment that targets the genes, proteins and surrounding tissues that help a cancer cell grow and thrive. Targeted therapies can be used to treat many types of cancer. They’re often used in combination with other cancer treatments.

How does targeted therapy work?

Your healthy cells grow out of control and become cancerous cells when your genes mutate and change. This is due to the interruption of chemical signals that tell your normal cells to work properly.

Targeted therapy works by identifying your specific genetic mutations that are helping cancer cells thrive. Mutations could be found in genes, proteins within a gene, or surrounding tissue and blood vessels.

Through testing, genetic changes can be identified. This allows custom targeted therapy treatment that can help treat cancer by:

• Stopping or blocking the chemical signals telling the cancer cell to grow
• Sending a signal to the cancer cell to destroy itself
• Changing the proteins within the cancer cell
• Stopping the growth of new blood vessels that support the cancer cell
• Sending toxins to the cancer cell

Identifying genetic changes in cancer cells

Precision medicine, or personalized medicine, is a growing area of cancer research. This includes targeted therapy. Targeted therapies are unique to you and tailored for your type of cancer.

Your provider will identify the right type of targeted therapy treatment for you through biomarker testing. Samples are needed and collected through a biopsy, during surgery or through a blood draw.

How does targeted therapy differ from chemotherapy?

Targeted therapy – unlike chemotherapy – does not impact normal cells in your body. It also stops cancer cells from dividing and multiplying, unlike chemotherapy, which kills off cancer cells that have already been made.

Targeted therapy types

The FDA has approved a wide range of targeted therapy treatments. Monoclonal antibodies and small-molecule drugs are two of the most common types used.

• Monoclonal antibodies: Proteins produced in a lab are designed to attach to a target found on a cancer cell. Some monoclonal antibodies mark their target, so your immune system knows to attack it – a treatment similar to immunotherapy for cancer. Others carry toxins or send a signal to the cancer cell to stop growing or self-destruct.
• Small-molecule drugs: These drugs are tiny enough to enter a cell. Once they find their target, they block it.

Other types of targeted therapy include inhibitors. These drugs work by blocking or disrupting the mutations affecting the cancer cell. Common types of inhibitors include angiogenesis inhibitors, signal transduction inhibitors and proteasome inhibitors.

• Angiogenesis inhibitors: Disrupt the growth of new blood vessels that support a cancer cell, causing the cell to die.
• Proteasome inhibitors: Disrupt normal cell functions, causing the cancer cell to die.
• Signal transduction inhibitors: Disrupt activity signals being sent to the cell, causing the cancer cell to stop growing or multiplying.

How is targeted therapy given?

You’ll receive your targeted therapy through oral medications or an IV line into a vein. Oral medications are used for small-molecule drugs and IV medication for monoclonal antibodies.

Your targeted therapy frequency is unique to your cancer type, stage and how your body reacts to it. Treatment may be given in cycles or given daily, weekly or monthly.

Examples of targeted therapy for cancer treatment

Drugs used in targeted therapy are formulated to treat different genes found within a cancer cell. Some treatments are combined for effectiveness. Common examples of targeted therapy drugs for cancer include:

• Breast cancer: Monoclonal antibodies and kinase inhibitors
• Ovarian cancer: Angiogenesis inhibitors and poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors
• Colon cancer: Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGRF) inhibitors and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs
• Pancreatic cancer: eGRF inhibitors and PARP inhibitors
• Prostate cancer: PARP inhibitors and neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase (NTRK) inhibitors
• Melanoma (skin cancer): Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) inhibitors and V-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 (BRAF) inhibitors

Benefits and risks of targeted therapy

Targeted therapy has many benefits, but not everyone responds to it in the same way. Properly identifying your specific target can be a challenging process for providers as well. But with any type of cancer treatment, there are benefits and risks.

Benefits of targeted therapy

• Kills cancer cells without damaging normal cells
• Blocks cancer cells from growing or multiplying
• Helps the immune system destroy cancer cells

Risks of targeted therapy

• Cancer cells may not respond to treatment
• Cancer cells may become resistant to treatment

Targeted therapy side effects

Side effects depend on your treatment type and your health history. The most common side effects include diarrhea and liver problems. Other possible side effects include:

• Problems with blood clotting and would healing
• Mouth sores
• Fatigue
• Heart rhythm changes
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Neurologic changes
• Loss of hair color
• Nail changes
• Dry skin or rashes
• Photosensitivity

Many side effects can be treated with medications and are short-term. They typically go away after you finish treatment.

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