Future cancer drugs and therapies will be safer

Cancer Treatments

The future of cancer treatment lies in designing drugs and other therapies that target only cancer cells and leave healthy cells alone. What currently happens in the majority of cases, however, is much less ideal. There are four main kinds of treatment in use today.

Surgery. Surgical intervention can help to completely or partially remove a tumor. Sometimes surgery is all that is needed and the healing process is relatively straightforward (for example, in early-stage kidney [renal] cancer). In other cases, the surgery may be very complicated or involve a particularly sensitive part of the body such as the brain. Surgical scars regain strength fairly quickly. Within a couple of weeks, most scars are almost healed and have good strength. Usually, after surgery, doctors recommend waiting between two and six weeks before becoming very active-depending on the type and extent of the operation as well as the surgeon's preference. If surgery is followed by other cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy, the time for healing may be prolonged. If you have had surgery, it is a good idea to check with your doctor about when you can start returning to your normal activity level. You may receive instructions about daily activities such as household chores, lifting, or driving as well as exercise itself.

Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy literally means chemical treatment. It involves receiving either a single drug or a combination of drugs that may be given either orally or intravenously. Because the drugs travel throughout the body and affect both normal and malignant cells, they are given in courses, with some time allowed between doses for normal cells to repair themselves. In the past many people believed that chemotherapy was given only if the prognosis was poor. Today chemotherapy is an important part of cancer treatment for many diseases from the earliest to the most advanced stages.

Radiation Treatment. Radiation treatment typically involves externalbeam therapy or brachytherapy. With external-beam therapy a high-energy x-ray beam is directed at a tumor site where malignant cells are rapidly dividing. Because the treatment also harms normal cells in the vicinity, it is given in "fractions" over the course of several weeks. In the days between treatments, normal cells can mend themselves or be replaced. The term brachytherapy means "therapy from a short distance" and is carried out by placing radioactive materials (called isotopes) into thin tubes that are placed in or near the affected area of the body.

Immunotherapy/Biological Treatment. This category, the newest in the modern age of cancer treatment, is an area of exciting research and significant progress. It takes in a group of therapies composed of medications and vaccines that work in conjunction with the body's immune system. Substances called interferons and interleukins are produced in healthy people under certain conditions. When they are used as cancer drugs, they can enhance the ability of the immune system to kill malignant cells. There is also a great deal of research on cancer vaccines that can target certain parts of a cancer cell to prevent its growth.

Cancer, Healing, and the Immune System

The immune system consists of many types of cells carried by the blood to different parts of the body. There are neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes, macrophages, and natural killer cells that we believe help to keep cancer cells in check. If this theory is right, then boosting one's immune system will help reduce the risk of cancer and perhaps cancer recurrence. It is believed that at any given time there are stray cancer cells in healthy people whose immune systems are strong enough to overcome the cancer cells. Thus, these people don't develop cancer as a disease. The immune system is also responsible for inactivating free radicals, which are highly active oxygen molecules that contain unpaired electrons. Some scientists think that having an excessive amount of free radicals heightens a person's risk of cancer. The free radicals are neutralized (inactivated) by antioxidants. Although it is not entirely clear to what extent the immune system helps to prevent initial and recurrent cancers, we know for sure that a strong immune system is extremely important in repairing and healing the body. Its work includes the repair and regeneration of normal cells that have been damaged by any one or a combination of cancer treatments. You probably have a distinct image in your mind of how a cut heals-that there are cells that race to the injured area to help prevent infection and heal the wound. The immune system plays a role in nearly every aspect of healing, so whatever you can do to improve your immune system will help you to heal.

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