Treatments Article Heena CHANGE

What is targeted therapy?

Targeted therapy is a kind of cancer treatment that’s focused on genetic changes or mutations that turn healthy cells into cancer cells. To use targeted therapy, healthcare providers test for the genetic changes responsible for helping cancer cells grow and survive. Then, they identify specific treatments to kill those cells or keep them from growing. Targeted therapy helps healthcare providers treat cancer cells without hurting healthy cells. Healthcare providers have developed more than 80 targeted therapies to treat many kinds of cancer. Sometimes, they use targeted therapy as the front line or initial treatment. They may also combine targeted therapy with other treatments.

How does targeted therapy work?

Once healthcare providers understand the genetic mutation changing a healthy cell into a cancer cell, they identify specific cancer cell parts to target for treatment. Sometimes, these are targets on cancer cells surfaces. Other times, the targets are substances inside cancer cells. Here’s information on the two most common kinds of targeted therapies and how they tackle cancer:

• Monoclonal antibodies: Monoclonal antibodies are lab-made versions of your antibodies. Your antibodies are part of your immune system. They’re proteins that scour your body for signs of intruder proteins (antigens) that can come from things like infections or cancer cells. Antibodies target these antigens to get rid of the intruders. Monoclonal antibodies have several ways of attacking cancer cells.
• Small-molecule drugs:These drugs bind or attach to specific targets on cancer cells, preventing cancer cell growth or killing the cancer cells.

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What happens before targeted therapy?

Your healthcare provider will confirm if targeted therapy is the right treatment for the kind of cancer that you have. Your healthcare provider may need to test your blood or some of your tissue obtained from biopsies. They’ll examine the samples for specific gene changes or mutations, looking for targets that are likely to respond to specific therapies.

What happens during targeted therapy?

Everyone’s situation is different, so ask your healthcare provider to explain your treatment plan so you know what to expect. Here’s some general information about what may happen during targeted therapy:

• You may receive targeted therapy by taking a pill that you swallow, as a shot under the skin (subcutaneously) or through an IV (intravenously, or through a vein). People receiving treatment through an IV typically go to their healthcare provider’s office or outpatient treatment center.
• You may receive targeted therapy along with other treatments, including chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
• You may receive targeted therapy every day, once a week, several times a week or once a month, or less frequently.
• There may be times when you take a break from therapy.

You’ll have regular visits with your healthcare provider so they can monitor your progress. They may perform blood tests, X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scans and other tests to assess how well the targeted therapy is working. They’ll also ask how you’re doing with any treatment side effects.