Is Personalized Medicine Right for Your Cancer Treatment?

Medically Reviewed By William C. Lloyd III, MD, FACS
close up of tumor cells
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Traditional cancer treatments, like chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery, have been used to fight cancer since the early 20th century. But as our understanding of cancer evolves, the focus is shifting toward more personalized cancer treatments, also known as precision medicine. In this newer approach to patient care, your doctor selects treatments based on tumor genes, which are unique to you. Since treatment is based on your particular genes, a personalized medicine treatment that works well for you may not be as beneficial to someone else.

It’s now known that tumors have certain genetic changes that make them different from normal, healthy cells. These changes cause your cancer to grow, evade detection, and spread. Using a precision medicine approach to treatment, your doctor may be able to develop a plan to more effectively treat you by targeting your cancer’s specific genetic changes. However, it’s important to understand that some types of cancer respond to this type of therapy better than others. Because research into personalized medicine is still evolving, be sure to talk with your doctor about any options that may be right for you.

Targeted Therapies Offer More Personalized Medicine

The field of precision medicine is still relatively new, but already many hospitals are using targeted therapies to treat various types of cancer. These treatments work by controlling the growth, division, and spread of cancer cells. Some targeted therapies also influence cellular signals, or certain chemical messengers released from cells, that prevent tumor cells from multiplying or cause the cancer cells to die.

Because cancer is such a complex condition, targeted treatments aren’t a one-size-fits-all option. Your cancer may include multiple genetic factors that need to be targeted for treatment to be effective. These factors could include genetic mutations caused by damage from environmental sources, such as ultraviolet (UV) light, tobacco smoke, or viruses. Or, they could be mutations that were passed on to you from your parents or grandparents.

Currently, there are several types of targeted therapies that are used in personalized medicine.

  • Monoclonal antibodies — this treatment works by targeting specific cellular components, called antigens, that appear on the surface of cancer cells, or in areas of the body surrounding tumors. In healthy tissues, antigens are used as a signal to alert your immune system, letting your body know there is a foreign invader, like a virus, or other harmful object to fight. Monoclonal antibodies are used to identify cancer antigens, thereby recruiting your immune system to fight and destroy your cancer; using your own body to fight the disease.

  • Angiogenesis inhibitors — in order to grow and spread, tumors need access to nutrients and oxygen. Normally, cancer cells get both from small networks of blood vessels that grow in and around tumors. This type of cancer treatment stops the formation of these new blood vessels, cutting cancer off from what it needs to keep growing.

  • Apoptosis-inducing medications — normally, cells die when their DNA is too damaged to repair. This is a natural process that occurs throughout your life. Cancer cells already have damaged DNA, and this approach to personalized medicine can be used to influence how certain cells send chemical messages that control the process of cellular death.

  • Hormone treatments — some cancers are especially sensitive to hormones and require them to spread. This type of treatment can help stop your body from making the hormones your cancer needs to grow. They may also work by interfering with the action of certain hormones within your body.

  • Signal transduction inhibitors — all cells in your body, including cancer cells, respond to a variety of signals from their surrounding environment in the body. Some types of cancer receive inappropriate signals that cause the cancer cells to grow continuously. These treatments work to stop this signaling, which can help stop the growth of certain types of cancer, like breast or lung cancer.

Starting Personalized Medicine Treatments

Before beginning any precision medicine treatments, your cancer must be tested to see if there are any genetic changes that can be targeted, like mutations caused by environmental factors or certain chemical traits that influence whether a particular gene is activated. This field of medicine is rapidly expanding. There are many different types of precision medicine treatments currently being studied in clinical trials, and you may be able to qualify for one of these studies depending on your situation.

Decades of research have already made more personalized cancer care possible, and the field of precision medicine is still developing. A precision approach to cancer treatment means you could benefit from a more customized plan for dealing with your cancer. If you’re interested in this approach, connect with your doctor to see if you may be able to receive a targeted treatment that’s precisely tailored to your individual needs.

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Medical Reviewer: William C. Lloyd III, MD, FACS
Last Review Date: 2021 Sep 19
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