New hopes in cancer therapy.

(From The Economic Times)

Byline: Amitabh Baxi

They are all about hitting the right target. Indeed, targeted therapies, the new-age treatments in cancer cure, have emerged as the latest option for people suffering from certain kinds of cancer. The therapy terminates the cancerous cells without affecting or harming the healthy tissue and thereby maintaining the quality of life of the patient.

Today, targeted therapies are available for solid as well as liquid tumours - there are targeted therapies for advanced aggressive breast cancers such as the Her2-positive breast cancer and for liquid tumours such as Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

What's more, even very complex cancers like that of colon and rectum, which are often detected only at a very advanced stage, can be effectively tackled with targeted therapy. A new targeted drug therapy, Cetuximab (a generic drug) is all set to change the treatment of advanced cancer of the colon and rectum through its unique mode of action, fewer side effects and better patient acceptance. …