The New Cancer Treatments Making It A Thing Of The Past
Cancer has been around as long as the human race has. In fact, the majority of diseases and health cases have been around as long as us. But we’ve been able to completely eradicate some diseases and come up with life-saving treatments and medications for others in that time. Unfortunately, that still isn’t the case with cancer. Even though we have had a long time to research and study the illness, we still haven’t eradicated it. And even though survival rates are now higher than they ever have been, the treatments currently don’t help everyone. We’re losing more people to cancer than what we should be.
But is that all about to change? New cancer treatments and medications are being created and developed all the time by researchers in the field. Here are some of the most modern treatments, which are helping us move into a future where cancer is a thing of the past.
Xenografts
Not too sure what we mean when we say “xenograft”? Well, it’s kind of like a transplant, except the donated tissue comes from a different species rather than from another human. It is now thought that using rats as xenograft donors for humans who are suffering from cancer, or have a high chance of developing the disease, can help save many lives. This is still in the very early stages of development, though, and you can learn about it here and just how it is being used in the fight against cancer. The story should give you hope!
Immunotherapy
Many health professionals are also hopeful that immunotherapy will soon be able to be rolled out as a major cancer treatment. Some private hospitals are now starting to use it and the results have been immense. As part of this treatment, the patient’s immune system is encouraged to target and fight the disease. There are different types of immunotherapy. For instance, adoptive cell transfer involves boosts the T cells in the body so that they are able to fight the cancer cells a lot better than what they would be able to naturally.
Targeted Therapy
Targeted Therapy is a very precise form of medicine. When used in cancer sufferers it targets the cells and changes the way they behave and divide. By targeting the changes, the therapy can prevent them from happening in the first place or block any of the effects. One of the most common types of targeted therapy is the use of small-molecule drugs. These small molecules are tiny enough to fit into the cancer cell so that they don’t affect any of the body’s healthy cells. Another type of targeted therapy uses monoclonal antibodies. These don’t enter the cells but they target the outer surface of the cancer cells.
Doctors are also using gamma knife radiosurgery to help treat certain cancers. With this technology, cancer cells are targeted and patients see more recover rates.
As you can see, there are a few different cancer treatments that are making it easier for cancer patients to survive. Hopefully, with the right research and development, these treatments and medications can be improved so that they eventually wipe out cancer for good.