This is called вЂњprecision medicine,вЂќ and it may very well be the future of cancer treatment. Through this form of treatment, the focus is on building the bodyвЂ™s own defenses to combat the cancer. These patients can instead be treated with a drug targeted just for that specific mutation.ДЄnother treatment now being studied is one that uses drugs that heighten a patientвЂ™s immune response.

In lung cancer, for example, we now know that if a tumor has a certain genetic defect, known as a mutation, then chemotherapy need not be given. As we learn more through research, we are focusing on ways to personalize treatment.В That means taking the personвЂ™s individual tumor and trying to find a specific plan for that patient. There is a focus on trying to limit who gets chemotherapy or other forms of toxic treatment by tailoring approaches specific to the individualвЂ™s situation, rather than taking a вЂњone size fits allвЂќ approach.

While chemotherapy has been a helpful treatment for many patients, cancer researchers are always looking for better ways to approach cancer care. For such individuals, chemotherapy might make their condition worse instead of better. For others, chemotherapy can be a very risky proposition, especially if one is too frail or too sick (from cancer or from another illness). For some, especially if the cancer was caught early, surgery or other ways to locally treat their specific cancer may be enough. Treatment with chemotherapy is not appropriateВ for every person diagnosed or living with cancer. This attack on healthy cells is what can cause side effects from chemotherapy, which can include vomiting, diarrhea, numbness and tingling, and loss of hair. As a result, any cells that normally divide rapidly, like cells that give rise to hair follicles, line our gut, and make up our nerves, may be targeted. That is because they are not made to specifically target cancer cells. Unfortunately, each of the numerous types of chemotherapy drugs is toxic. These drugs work because they usually disrupt the cellsвЂ™ ability to multiply, which causes the cells to die. Yet, while you may be familiar with the term, not everyone understands just what chemotherapy is.Д¬hemotherapy is a form of anti-cancer treatment that uses drugs designed to kill cancer cells. For many of these patients, whether a friend, loved one, or co-worker, chemotherapy was a part of treatment. Many of us know someone who has been diagnosed with cancer.

Keymo therapy