Types and Prices of Targeted Therapy Drugs
Cancer Drug Treatment Options
In the 1980s, scientists discovered that cancer cells rely on many growth factors and other substances to facilitate their growth. Tumors will stop dividing by blocking these growth factors. Targeted therapy drugs are designed to identify the unique growth factor receptors in tumors and thereby halt the growth of tumor cells. We can compare targeted therapy drugs and tumor-cell receptors as a key that only corresponds to a lock. Therefore, the treatment utilising targeted cancer drugs has less impact on normal cells and generally has fewer side effects than conventional chemotherapy drugs, while effectively stopping the growth and spread of cancer cells. For inquiries about the cost of targeted therapy and prices of targeted cancer drugs, please contact reVIVE Oncology and Cancer Centre.
What types of cancer are suitable for targeted therapy?
In the 1990s, targeted therapy pioneered a new era of cancer treatment, starting with HER2-positive breast cancer and chronic leukaemia. Since then, various targeted therapy drugs have been approved for use in multiple types of cancer, such as colon, kidney,Liver Cancer, stomach, skin, and lung cancers.
Signal transduction inhibitors
In some cancers, the malignant cells are stimulated to divide continuously without being prompted to do so by external growth factors. Signal transduction inhibitors interfere with this inappropriate signalling to inhibit malignant cell growth.
Angiogenesis inhibitors
Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels. Blood supply is necessary for tumors to grow beyond a certain size because blood provides the oxygen and nutrients that tumors need for continued growth. Angiogenesis inhibitors block the growth of new blood vessels to tumors and thus may block tumor growth.
Apoptosis-inducing drugs
Apoptosis-inducing drugs cause cancer cells to undergo a process of controlled cell death called apoptosis.
Monoclonal antibodies attached to toxins
Once the antibody binds to its target cell, the toxic molecule that is linked to the antibody — such as a radioactive substance or a poisonous chemical — will be taken up by the cell and ultimately kills that cell. The toxin will not affect cells that lack the target for the majority of cells in the body will not be affected.
In recent years, the new concept of “antibody-drug conjugate” has been widely adopted as a new form of targeted therapy. Conventional targeted therapy combines the receptors of growth factors on the surface of tumor cells. Antibody-drug conjugate not only identifies those receptors, but also carries a cytotoxic component that can precisely kill the cancer cells. It works like precision missiles that are equipped with a satellite navigation system and explosive component to locate and eradicate the target enemy. The other form of targeted therapy blocks the blood vessels surrounding the tumor cells, thereby depriving them of their nutrient supply. Targeted therapy drugs that block angiogenesis are often used in conjunction with chemotherapy to increase the efficiency of treatment.
Common Types of Targeted Therapy Drugs
Characteristics of Targeted Therapy Drugs
The most common ways to give targeted therapy drugs are by oral administration (in the form of tablets or capsules) or intravenous injection. Some targeted therapy drugs might be given by subcutaneous injection. But they do not work in the same ways as standard chemotherapy drugs. Targeted therapy drugs interfere with specific molecules (targets) that are involved in cancer cell growth and survival. Traditional chemotherapy drugs, by contrast, act against all actively dividing cells. Therefore, targeted therapy drugs may have fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy drugs.
The use of targeted therapy may be restricted to patients whose tumor has an appropriate target for a particular target therapy drug to work. Therefore, a patient is a candidate for a targeted therapy only if specific criteria are met (for example, cancer did not respond to other therapies, has spread, or is inoperable).
For inquiries about the cost of targeted therapy, please contact reVIVE Oncology and Cancer Centre.
