Basic principles of cancer therapy

1. Basic principles
of
chemotherapy
Dr Md Shamshir Alam
MMCP, Mullana

2. Content
• What is cancer?
• Causes of cancer
• Points to make sure before treatment
• Types of treatment
• Goals of treatment
• Treatment factors
• Case study

3. WHAT IS CANCER
• CANCER: A group of disease involving abnormal cell growth with the
potential to invade or spread to other part of the body.
• CHEMOTHERAPY: The term chemotherapy is describe as the use of
chemicals or drugs to treat cancer.
• CYTOTOXIC DRUG: Lysis of both normal and cancer cells.
• Cancer cells are cells that have lost the ability to follow normal control
that body exerts on all cells.
• Billions cells with billion functions, if they escape normal mechanism
and spread that is what we call cancer.
• A Malignant tumour, can spread to other tissues.
• Breast cancer is common in females, prostate cancer is common in
males and lung and colon cancer are common in both.

5. Causes of Cancer

6. Points to make sure beforetreatment
• What type of cancer is it?
• How far has the cancer spread?
• What treatments are available?
• What patient factors are relevant?
• Can we cure it?

7. Types of treatment

8. Drugs selection are based on the type, stage, and genetic make-up
of cancer patients
• One or more of the following type(s) of treatment are indicated:
□ Chemotherapy: drugs that directly kill cancer cells
□ Targeted therapy: drugs that target steps in cellular processes to
block cancer growth
□ Immunotherapy: drugs that switch on parts of the immune
system to fight cancer
□ Hormonal therapy: drugs that stop hormone-reliant cancer cells
from using hormones to grow
 Many monoclonal antibodies are used to treat cancer. They are
a type of targeted cancer therapy, which means they are designed
to interact with specific targets.
Drug therapy

9. GOALS & treatment
1. CURATIVE 2. PALLIATIVE
1. CURATIVE: eradication
-Induction therapy: Given with the intent of inducing
complete remission(eliminate clinical evidence) when
initiating a curative regimen
-Consolidation therapy: Repetition of the induction
regimen in a patient who has achieved a complete
remission.
-Maintenance therapy: To prevent recurrence.
Long-term, low-dose, single or combination
chemotherapy given to a patient who has achieved a
complete remission.
2. PALLIATIVE: Provide comfort, Improve quality of life.

10. LOCALISED
SYSTEMIC

11. CASE STUDY