EHR523 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Orchiectomy, Spinal Decompression, Reconstructive Surgery
Document Summary
Week 3 understanding cancer treatments & side . Categories of treatments: treatments selected are based on a number of factors: Patient characteristics and choice: three (3) general categories: Targeted therapies: drugs that target tumour genes or proteins. Local treatment radiotherapy: radiation therapy uses high-energy particles or waves to destroy or damage cancer cells. Medication to stop the glands from producing hormones. Surgery to remove the hormone producing gland: hormone therapy may last for several months for several years. Targeted therapies: use drugs that act on specific targets on the outside of cancer cells to block tumour cell proliferation- cell specific, there are 3 main types of targeted therapies: Immunotherapies: trigger the immune system to destroy cancer cells. (e. g. monoclonal antibodies that recognize specific molecules on the surface of cancer cells). Monoclonal antibodies: deliver toxic molecules to cause the death of cancer cells specifically.
