Understanding Targeted Treatments | Cancer.Net

Understanding Targeted Treatments

Until recently, cancer treatment was largely based on the location in the body where the tumor began, such as the lung or breast. Now, cancer treatment increasingly depends on specific factors of a person’s tumor, such as gene mutations (changes) or proteins that are often characteristic of cancer cells, regardless of the original location of the cancer. A treatment that targets these faulty genes or proteins that contribute to cancer growth and development is called a targeted treatment. Unlike previous generations of cancer chemotherapies that were developed to interfere with cancer cells as they divide into new cancer cells, a targeted treatment is designed to turn off a signal that tells cells to divide or delay cell death.

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Understanding Targeted Treatments | Cancer.Net