Cancer Treatment - difficult, but necessary

Today, there are many different ways to treat cancer. Some of them are less known than chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery.

Gene therapy

It is known that genetic mutations can lead to malfunction of genes and uncontrolled cell growth. This may result in the development of cancer. (It should be remembered, however, that cancer develops is not so easy; probably this requires a complex series of multiple mutations). These mutations can be caused by smoking, environmental factors, or be inherited. The basic idea of ​​gene therapy consist in the fact that the correction of these mutations will enable us to stop the cancer. Today, we developed several ways to obtain this result:

• Replacement for scarce or non-functioning genes. For example, a gene called p53 tumor suppressor gene - name reflects its function. Cells in which due to the gene mutation is absent, can be "repaired" by placing them in a functional copy of p53.
• Oncogenes - is mutated genes that can cause the development of new or cancer, or distribute the whole body an existing cancer. Breaking the activity of these genes, gene therapy will be able to stop the development or spread of cancer.
• Using own immune system by placing the gene in the cancer cells that will cause the immune system to attack the cancer cells as foreign organisms.
• Introduction into tumor cells genes that make them more susceptible to other therapies or prevent the development of resistance to them.
• Creating a "suicide genes" that will penetrate into the cancer cells, causing them to self-destruct.
• Using genes to prevent the formation of blood vessels in cancerous tumors. This doom tumor on real starvation in the absence of the necessary for the development of its nutrients.
• The use of genes to protect healthy cells from the side effects of such treatments as radiation therapy and radiation therapy.

How is

Delivery of genes in the right place - one of the biggest challenges and most important tasks of gene therapy. Of course, an injection of genes into cells is not possible, therefore, requires a carrier that can deliver them to their destination. Typically, as a vehicle of such viruses are used - such as viruses, such as those that cause the common cold, but - deactivated, so that they can not cause the patient any disease. Firstly, these viruses must implement certain genes.

Thereafter, in some cases, a patient taking samples of cells in the laboratory and subjected them to the virus. The virus interacts with the desired gene to cells that over time grow in vitro, and then administered to the patient intravenously in specific organs (such as lungs), or directly to the liver. In other cases, viruses (now called vectors) with embedded genes are introduced into the patient and they are the cells to which the gene therapy. Reaching the target cell, the gene should fall into its core and penetrate the human genetic material. Next, the gene must be activated and begin to produce protein products at the synthesis of which he calculated. If the protein is functioning normally, the delivery of the gene into the cell is considered successful.

Gene therapy is - a completely new way to treat cancer, its various methods only in clinical trials and about the side effects, especially long-term, is little known. Some effects of this therapy is only possible to build a theory, but gene therapy is developed quickly and can be a source of hope for many patients.

Biological Therapy

Biological therapy helps the immune system to function better by using substances that are normally present in the body. Therapy can stimulate the body to produce more of these substances, or in the course of therapy administered to a subject synthetic analogs of these substances.

The biological therapy used: Bacillus Calmette-Guerin - for the treatment of bladder cancer Urinary bladder - structure and function   at an early stage, interleukin-2 - in certain types of melanoma and renal cancer Kidney cancer: in the early stages the prognosis is favorable , Rituxan (rituximab) - with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, herceptin (trastuzumab) therapy for breast cancer, and many other drugs.

The objective of biological therapy - to strengthen the natural defense mechanisms of the body. While it is not clear exactly how the funds operate biological therapy, but it is obvious that they can slow down the development of cancer, and help the immune system to destroy cancer cells. Biologic therapy is also used to mitigate the adverse effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy Radiotherapy in cancer treatment: irradiation aid .

Means for biological therapy is administered intravenously, subcutaneously, intramuscularly, or orally taken - depending on the type of drug and the disease, for which treatment is used.

Despite the fact that in the course of treatment using natural or similar to the natural substance, they can cause various side effects such as fever, muscle aches and pains in the joints Joint pain - how to understand what is going on? Nausea and / or vomiting, loss of appetite, and severe fatigue. However, most side effects subside within 24-48 hours after initiation of treatment - about the time needed to get used to changes in the immune system.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials can also be considered as a method of treating cancer.

To make a decision on participation in the trials could be many reasons. Most clinical trials are an opportunity to gain access to treatments that are not available under other circumstances. Currently, however, only a very small number of patients taking part in clinical trials - first of all it is due, of course, with the fear of new methods of treatment.

Phase I clinical trials

• 1 phase. At this stage there is a perfect definition of the dose and the identification of its side effects. In the first phase of clinical trials involved a small group of patients, usually with cancer at later stages that are resistant to commonly used therapies. During the tests using the format of gradually increasing doses. If the first group underwent a well defined dose, the next group give a higher dose - and so on, until you determine the maximum safe dose.
• Phase 2. In the second phase of clinical trials evaluated the effectiveness of the test method for the treatment and continued monitoring of tolerability. At this stage, the study involved more patients.
• Phase 3 is devoted to the experimental treatment compared with standard methods and evaluation of results of the use of the first. In this phase, clinical trials may be involved hundreds or thousands of patients.
• 4 phase comes after the approval of the treatment being tested. It has already begun to be used in general practice, but scientists continue to deal with the increase of its safety and effectiveness.

Those wishing to take part in clinical trials tend to be to search for information on such opportunities. It should be noted that the research centers have strict selection criteria for trial participants.

Before testing the patient should receive detailed information on its nature and during the test, and sign the relevant document. After the test the patient may at any time not to participate.

Of course, in most cases, involved in clinical trials is regarded as an extreme method of treating cancer, however, with the rapid development of therapies, it can not exclude the possibility that it will be effective.