Cancer is the cause of nearly ten million deaths a year, statistics that bring him to the main cause of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization, with breast, lung and colon cancer to be more common.
However, there are some good news, as the progress of medical technology and science paves the way for the emergence of new therapeutic options With better oncological results, less patients’ burden and ultimately higher life expectancy and better quality of life.
20 years ago, almost 100% of cancer -diagnosed patients received only cytostatic chemotherapy, guided exclusively by the origin of the tumor, while dealing with the serious side effects and sometimes uncertain results of this therapeutic model.
Developments in treatment
In the last two decades there have been significant developments in cancer treatment research. Medication has been enriched with two new weapons, immunotherapy and targeted therapy that come to supplement or replace classical chemotherapy.
Today, over 50% of our patients are treated on the basis of immunological biomarkers and molecular characteristics of the tumor, regardless of their origin, and we have excellent results.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a therapeutic approach that uses the immune system of a patient to fight cancer. This can be done in two ways:
- Stimulating or enhancing the natural defenses of the immune system to detect and destroy cancer cells.
- By preparing substances in a laboratory that simulate components of the immune system that are responsible for detecting and destroying cancer cells.
In recent decades, immunotherapy has become a significant part of the treatment of certain types of cancer, such as melanoma, and can be applied autonomously or in combination with other types of treatment.
Targeted treatment
Conventional chemotherapy works by destroying all cells that multiply, both healthy and cancerous. On the contrary, targeted treatment uses drugs designed to “target” cancer cells, without affecting the healthy cells of the body.
This is achieved at a cellular level. Cancer cells need specific molecules, often in the form of proteins, to survive, multiply and spread. These molecules are usually produced by cancer genes, as well as the cells themselves.
Targeted treatment is designed to interfere with these molecules by preventing their function, thereby slowing down or even stopping the spread of cancer.
Having, always, as a priority of the patient, the Athens Medical It takes action and significantly improves its services, with valid diagnosis programs, by upgrading the daily hospitalization, with the creation of an independent clinical of compact tumors and hematology, using radiological and radiotherapy techniques with the latest generation, with active participation in Decisions for the oncological patient.
Written by Dr. Dimitrios Tzanninis, Oncologist – pathologist, director Oncology clinic, Athens Medical Center
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