Transcript Methods of Treatment - Faculty members | Olin College

Methods of Treatment
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 Surgery
 Hormone Therapy
 Radiation
 Chemotherapy
 Immunotherapy
 Targeted therapy
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancerbasics/thehistoryofcancer/index
Why it works
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 Cancer – rapidly dividing cells
 Treatments
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Slow down dividing
Break down cells
Trying to affect how quickly the cells are dividing
Except surgery which just removes the tumor formed
Surgery
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 Halsted – radical mastectomy and modified radical
mastectomy
 Believed that adequate removal of tumor would cure cancer
 1970’s – Proved less extensive surgery is equally effective
for most women with breast cancer
 Exploratory cancer to imaging
 Less invasive methods to destroy tumors
 Cryosurgery/Cryotherapy
 Lasers to cut tissue or vaporize cancers
 Radiofrequency ablation
Hormone Therapy
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 Mostly for hormonally sensitive tissues and organs
 Beats and oophorectomy
 Huggins – metastatic prostate cancer
 Tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors, LHRH analogs
and inhibitors
Radiation
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 X-ray was developed and radiation became a method for
treatment
 Found daily minor doses improved patient’s chance for a
cure
 Precision – able to destroy cancer cells without affecting
normal cells
 Conformational Radiation Therapy (CRT)
 Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
 Stereotactic radiosurgury and radiation therapy
 Intraoperative radiation therapy
 Chemical Modifiers/ Radiosensitizers
Chemotherapy
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 Mustard gas and Nitrogen mustard (alkylating agents)
 Aminopterin – able to block chemical reaction for DNA
replicaiton
 Methotrexate – cured metastatic cancer
 led to development of chemotherapy
 Many cancers can be controlled with chemo
 Combination chemotherapy
 Liposomal therapy
 Used in adjuvant therapy
Immunotherapy
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 Biological response modifier therapy
 Agents are given to patients to imitate or initiate an
immune response
 Antigens and modified antibodies
 Vaccines to boost the immune response to cancer cells
 Sipuleucel-T (Provenge)
Targeted Therapy
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 Influences the processes that control:
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Growth
Division
Spread of cancer cells
The signals that cause cancer cells to die naturally
 Growth signal inhibitors
 Angiogenesis inhibitors
 Apoptosis-inducing drugs
Epidemiology
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 Three observations launched the field
 1713 – Ramazzini and the nuns
 1775 – Percival Pott and chimney sweeps
 1620 – Venner and tobacco (Via Recta)
 This field led to finding causes which allows people
to protect against cancer
 Molecular biologists can use these to study the
interactions between genes and external factors – for
treatment methods