Newer Approaches Cancer Treatment

Abstract

Cancer therapy is entering a transformational age based on the rapid advancement of molecular biology, genomics, immunology, and biotechnology. Traditional therapies remain strong and essential (chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery), but patients are offered new and redefined therapies in respects to innovative, personalized treatment strategies and/or combinations . Immunotherapy is one of the most innovative therapies available, rooted in the principle that we are able to harness the patient's own immune system to identify and destroy cancer cells. All forms of immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, CAR T cells, and cancer vaccines have produced unprecedented results in select malignancies; specifically, durable responses to therapy when options were scarce.

Another equally meaningful form of therapy is targeted therapies that are based on the detection of genetic and molecular alterations in the tumor. Targeted therapies have been designed to block cancer specific pathways and are enhanced based on the patient's tumor profile to provide a targeted intervention. Finally, gene editing technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9 hold the rare potential of correcting a genetic mutation where it occurs as opposed to simply managing the problems arising from the mutation as described in the previous sections.

The advancements in nanomedicine are also changing the face of drug delivery – allowing drugs to be delivered directly to the tumor, increasing drug efficacy and reducing systemic adverse effects. AI (artificial intelligence) and machine-learning now being included in existing workflows in oncology to allow for more accurate, faster detection of cancer, risk prediction, and treatment selection than traditional methods.

This paradigm of these novel therapies not only provide better survival chances and enhanced quality of life for many affected patients but are fundamentally changing the approach to cancer care more broadly: from a type of treatment that considers cancer as general disease, to one that considers cancer as unique and an individual type process. The purpose of this article is to detail the most recent approaches to cancer treatment, describing the mechanisms, clinical approach, and future promises in the ongoing fight against cancer.