What to do if your body is opposing cancer treatment? Advanced Treatment, Personal Medicine to Address Resistance

Cancer treatment effectiveness can be evaluated by clinically or by tests such as radiology or tumor marker blood tests. According to experts, doctors use a combination of clinical symptoms, imaging and biomarkers to assess the effectiveness of the treatment of cancer.

How can doctors assess whether any treatment is ineffective?

In an interview with HT lifestyle, Dr. Anjali Kulkarni, Vice President – RWE strategy and analytics and oncologist shared in 4basecare, “The size of the wound can be checked in the case of visible tumors like an oral cavity. Sometimes if symptoms like difficulty swallowing are continuing, then doctors can conclude that treatment is not helping to relieve symptoms. ,

He revealed, “The most sure that imaging tests like PETCT, CT or MRI can assess the size of the original tumor and the size of the current tumor after treatment and if there is no change in size or increase, then the doctor draws this conclusion Treatment is ineffective. Increase in tumor markers such as CA 125 or PSA can be indicative of untouchability.

Bringing his expertise for the same, Dr. Sandeep Nayak, Director – Surgical Oncology Department at Fortis Hospital on Banerghta Road, Bangalore, told how doctors can assess whether any treatment is ineffective –

1. Symptomatic correction: If the patient had symptoms due to cancer (eg, pain, fatigue, or limb dysfunction), then the improvement in these symptoms may indicate that treatment is working.
2. Imaging study: Scans such as PET-CT, MRI, or CT are used to measure tumor size and activity. A decrease in tumor size or metabolic activity (as seen on PET scan) suggests a positive response.
3. Biomarker: Blood tests can measure tumor markers (eg, PSA for prostate cancer, CA -125 for ovarian cancer) to track cancer progression or treatment.
4. Reaction criteria: Oncologists use standardized criteria (such as reaction assessment criteria in solid tumors) to evaluate the range of tumors shrinkage or progression.
5. Liquid biopsy: Emerging technologies such as liquid biopsy can detect tumor DNA (CTDNA) in the blood, which provide real -time insight into treatment effectiveness and resistance.

Is there any new progress in overcoming cancer treatment resistance? How does it help?

Dr. Anjali Kulkarni exposed, “Genomic test helps in understanding potential drug resistance in some cancer. This helps identify some mutations that are associated with high reaction to some categories of drugs. For example, patients with BRCA mutations are often highly responsible for parp inhibitors, which target DNA repair mechanisms. Repeated genomic tests in the period of time helps identify the changing mutation profile that will help modify the treatment protocol. ,

He said, “Pharmacogenomics is a special branch that checks how changes in genes affect the reaction of drugs. There are bio simulation models that run on the patient’s genomic file and suggest possible drug combinations. The tests that are blood-based tests to assess the changing mutation profile over time and can help to identify the biomarser of the resistance and suggest alternative protocols.

Dr. Sandeep Nayak said, “Yes, significant progress is being made to address treatment resistance. However, many of these are in the research phase. ” he explained –

1. Targeted medicine: Drugs designed to target specific genetic mutations or routes are becoming more accurate in cancer cells. For example, the second-and third generation EGFR inhibitors can overcome resistance caused by specific mutation.
2. immunotherapy: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (eg, anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy) and CAR-T are helping to overcome resistance by exploiting the immune system to attack advance cancer cells in cell therapy.
3. combination therapy: A combination of various treatments, such as chemotherapy with immunotherapy or targeted therapy, can prevent cancer cells from developing resistance.
4. Molecular outline: Tumor’s genetic and molecular profiles allow doctors to identify the resistance system and tailor treatment accordingly.
5. Epignetic drugs: Drugs targeting epigeznetic changes, such as Histone decytylus inhibitors, are being developed for reverse resistance.
6. Nanotechnology: Nanopartical-based drug delivery systems are being discovered to improve the targeting of the drug and reduce resistance.

What role does personal medicine play in addressing treatment resistance in cancer?

Dr. Anjali Kulkarni replied, “Using genomic testing, transcriptal and pathway studies will help to understand the mutation profile deeply from a personal perspective. This will help the doctor determine the optimal combinations of drugs or change the drugs quickly. ,

Dr. Sandeep Nayak explained in detail, “Personal drug plays an important role in overcoming treatment resistance by stitching treatments for a patient’s unique genetic and molecular profile.” According to him, this approach includes –

1. Genomic sequencing: Cancer related genes (eg, BRCA1/2, KRAS, or ALK) identifying or identifying changes helps determine which treatments are likely to be effective.
2. Biomarker test: Testing for biomarckers such as Her2 or PD-L1 in lung cancer in breast cancer can guide the use of targeted remedies or immunotherapy.
3. Adaptive treatment strategies: Personal therapy allows for treatment for real -time adjustment of how cancer develops, reduces the possibility of resistance.
4. clinical trials: Patients with treatment-resistant cancer can benefit from enrollment in clinical trials that test novel remedies designed for specific genetic or molecular profiles.

By focusing on the individual characteristics of cancer, individual drug increases the chances of success and reduces unnecessary side effects.

Disclaimer: This article is only for informative purposes and is not an option for professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor with any question about a medical condition.