Advances in cancer research raise hopes for millions

​Hyderabad: Advances in cancer research are kindling hope among millions across the globe. Several major innovations have come to light at the recently held Apollo Cancer Conclave in which 2,340 scientists and cancer specialists took part. The buzz word at the conclave was “precision oncology treatment.”

Earlier the focus was on general oncology treatment, a treatment protocol which was common for all patients. But now with precision oncology treatment, molecules and genes in the cell are precisely decided upon the target molecule and precise drug and treatment to target it is given.

Dr Vijay Anand Reddy, Director, Apollo Cancer Hospital and Chairman, Organising Committee, Apollo Cancer Conclave felt that the advent of these new innovations will immensely benefit the patients and aid treating physicians to effectively combat cancer.

The hallmark of modern era cancer care is ‘Tailored Therapy’ as it has been identified that ‘every patient is different.’

This tailored therapy relies on the determination of molecular targets on the tumour. Liquid biopsies are non-invasive blood tests that detect circulating tumour cells and cell free tumor DNA, that are shed from the tumour and thus compliment an invasive biopsy.

Liquid biopsy can be used to identify these targets and modify treatments, apart from their primary role in diagnosis. It also helps in identifying sensitivity of tumour to various chemotherapeutic agents. Liquid biopsy can also be used to predict the toxicity of a particular therapeutic agent by pharmacogenetic analysis.

Tomotherapy
Scientists opined that advanced radiation techniques, tomotherapy and proton therapy will drastically bring down the treatment duration and will replace surgery in several areas of cancer treatment.

Also the whole body radiation, whole marrow radiation, multiple site treatment can be done in one go, making treatment less traumatic, morbidity and side effects are minimised.

Most cancer drugs are effective in only a fraction of patients who take them. Identification of this responsive subset of patients would spare useless cytotoxic treatment. This sensitivity is identified by pharmacogenomics profiling. This can be done on tumor tissue or on Liquid biopsy.
Genetic tests & screening

Gene mutations that lead to cancer may be inherited from a parent or may happen spontaneously during a person’s lifetime. Genetic testing is the process of using medical tests to look for these changes in a person’s genes lost chromosomes. Genetic testing is used to see if a person has certain gene mutates known to increase the test for a certain cancer e.g. BRCA mutation testing in Breast Cancer.

Immunotherapy, also called biologic therapy is a type of Cancer treatment designed to boost the body’s natural defences to fight cancer. It uses substances either made by the body or in a laboratory to improve or restore immune system function.

Checkpoint Inhibitors (CPI) block normal proteins on cancer cells, or the proteins on the T-Cells that respond to them. CPI seeks to overcome one of Cancer main defenses against an immune system attack.

Cancers which can be treated with Immunotherapy are:

• Melanoma – Nivolumab and Pembrolizumab.
• Hodgkin’s Lymphoma – Nivolumab
• Head & Neck Cancers – Nivolumab
• Lung Cancers – Nivolumab & Pembrolizumab