Overview
Targeted therapy, immunotherapy and hormone therapy are other drug treatments used to treat cancer. Like chemotherapy, they can be used at different points in your treatment.
Targeted therapy attacks specific features of cancer cells. Immunotherapy helps the body’s immune system to find and attack the cancer. Hormone therapy helps reduce the size and spread of the cancer.
What's on this page
Many types of drug therapies are used to treat cancer. As well as chemotherapy, these include targeted therapy, immunotherapy and hormone therapy. Together they are known as anticancer drug treatments or systemic anticancer therapy. These other drug therapies work in different ways to destroy cancer cells, and may be used before or after chemotherapy, surgery or radiation therapy. You may have one drug or a combination of drugs. This often makes treatment more effective and reduces the chance of cancer cells becoming drug resistant.
Which drug therapy is right for me?
To see if certain drug therapies are an option, your doctor will suggest you have tests to look for gene changes or other features in the cells. The results will help your doctor decide which drug therapy is more likely to work. They will also consider the type and stage of cancer, your response to previous treatments, your future treatment options and your overall health.
Drug therapies such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy work for some people, but they don’t work for everyone. Sometimes cancer cells can stop responding to a drug even if it worked at first. In this case, your doctor may prescribe different drugs. Some of these drug therapies are part of standard treatment, while others are being tested in clinical trials. In most cases, targeted therapy and immunotherapy are used to treat advanced cancer. This is cancer that has spread or come back after the initial treatment.
Like chemotherapy, other drug therapies have treatment protocols. You can find these at the eviQ cancer treatments website.
Targeted therapy
This drug therapy targets specific features of cancer cells, known as the molecular target, to stop the cancer cell from growing and spreading. The drug will only be given if the cancer cells have the target – it does not work for all people with the same cancer type.
There are many different types of targeted therapy drugs. They are grouped together depending on how they work. These groups include monoclonal antibodies and small-molecule inhibitors.
- Monoclonal antibodies are a manufactured version of natural antibodies made by the body to fight infections. They lock onto a protein on the surface of cells or surrounding tissues to affect how cancer cells grow and survive.
- Small molecule inhibitors are small enough to get inside cancer cells and block certain proteins that tell cancer cells to grow.
When it’s used
When it’s used
Targeted therapy drugs are now available for a range of cancers, including bowel, breast, lung, leukaemia, head and neck, kidney, liver, ovarian and melanoma. For many cancers, targeted therapy is available only when the cancer is advanced. For some types, it’s also available for early-stage cancer.
Targeted therapy may be used before or after surgery. It’s sometimes used on its own, and sometimes at the same time as chemotherapy. It can be used after initial treatments if the cancer has come back, or as a long-term treatment to prevent the cancer coming back or growing.
How it's given
How it's given
It may be given as tablets or capsules that you swallow, intravenously into a vein, or as an injection under the skin. Some targeted therapy drugs are given in repeating cycles, with rest periods in between. Others are taken every day without any breaks.
Possible side effects
Possible side effects
This therapy targets cancer cells, while limiting damage to healthy cells. Some people have only a few mild side effects, while others may have more. Skin problems are a common side effect. Other side effects can include fever, fatigue, joint aches, nausea, headaches and high blood pressure. Rare side effects include problems with the heart, thyroid, liver or lungs.
It’s important to tell your doctor about any new or worsening side effects, as some can become serious if left untreated. It’s also important to tell your doctor if you’re taking any other medicines (including vitamin and herbal supplements), as these can potentially interact with targeted therapy drugs and cause side effects.
For more information, see Targeted therapy.
Antibody drug conjugate therapy
Antibody drug conjugate (ADC) therapy is a type of targeted therapy that’s used in Australia to treat certain cancers, including types of breast, bladder and blood cancers. ADC therapy is when an antibody is joined to chemotherapy medicine.
The drug combination attaches to the cancer cells, and destroys them. This therapy is targeted at the cancer cells, but can affect other cells. Ask your oncologist or haematologist if this treatment is suitable for you.
Immunotherapy
Cancers find ways to disrupt the balance of the immune system so that it does not see cancer cells as unusual. Immunotherapy allows the immune system to recognise and attack the cancer. There are several different types of immunotherapy, and each works differently.
- Checkpoint inhibitors are the most common. Checkpoint inhibitors remove barriers that stop the immune system from finding and attacking cancer.
- Other types stimulate the immune system to help it attack cancer.
When it’s used
When it’s used
Immunotherapy using checkpoint inhibitors can be used for many types of cancer. Some checkpoint inhibitors are now available for any type of advanced cancer suitable for this treatment. Checkpoint inhibitors are also available in certain situations for some early-stage cancers, including lung and breast cancer. These drugs work well for some people, but not for everyone.
Immunotherapy can be given on its own or in combination with other treatments. For example, immunotherapy may be used after surgery to stop the cancer returning. It’s sometimes used in combination with chemotherapy or targeted therapy. This treatment can also be given when the cancer has not responded to other treatments or has come back after treatment.
How it's given
How it's given
Checkpoint inhibitors are given as a liquid through a drip inserted into a vein (intravenous infusion). They are usually given in repeating cycles, with rest periods in between.
Possible side effects
Possible side effects
Checkpoint inhibitors trigger an immune response that can cause side effects such as redness, swelling or pain anywhere in the body. Common side effects include skin rash and itching, diarrhoea, joint pain, fatigue and dry eyes. Rare but serious side effects include blurred vision, breathlessness and abdominal pain.
It’s important to tell your treatment team about any new or worsening side effects, as some can become serious and need to be treated differently to chemotherapy side effects.
To learn more, see Immunotherapy.
Hormone therapy
Hormones are substances that are produced naturally in the body and affect how the body works. Some cancers use hormones to grow. This means the cancer is hormone dependent. The aim of hormone therapy is to help reduce the size and slow down the spread of the cancer.
There are 2 main types of hormone therapy: drugs that stop hormones from being made, and drugs that prevent hormones from making cancer cells grow and divide. Hormone therapy is also called endocrine therapy, hormone-blocking therapy or androgen deprivation therapy.
When it’s used
When it’s used
Hormone therapy is mainly used to treat some types of breast, prostate and uterine cancers. This therapy is sometimes used before surgery to shrink a tumour; it can also be used after surgery or chemotherapy to reduce the risk of cancer returning. Hormone therapy can be used to slow the growth of cancer that has spread throughout the body (metastasised) and help manage symptoms
How it's given
How it's given
Hormone therapy can be given as tablets, injections or through a device placed in the uterus. It can be used for a short time or long term. How long you have hormone therapy depends on the aim of the treatment, how the cancer responds and any side effects you have.
Possible side effects
Possible side effects
Hormone therapy drugs affect hormone levels throughout your whole body. Possible side effects include tiredness, hot flushes, mood changes, weight gain and weakening of the bones. Rare side effects include blood clots and heart problems.
For more information, see Hormone therapy, Breast cancer, Prostate cancer and Cancer of the uterus.
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