Recent advances in cancer treatment include new drug carrier systems and nanotechnology to more precisely target cancer cells. New drug carrier systems such as polymer drug conjugates, cyclodextrins, and self-emulsifying drug delivery formulations aim to enhance drug delivery to tumors while avoiding healthy tissues to reduce side effects. Nanotechnology uses carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles to transport drugs across biological barriers and directly into cancer cells. Additionally, newer cancer vaccines using antigens, dendritic cells, and DNA aim to stimulate the immune system to recognize and destroy cancerous cells.

1. RECENT ADVANCES IN
CANCER TREATMENT
SUBMITTED BY:-
RAJESH YADAV
2ND SEM, M PHARM
DEPT. PHARMACOLOGY
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2. INTRODUCTION
 Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential
to invade or spread to other parts of the body.
 They form a subset of neoplasms. A neoplasm or tumour is a group of cells that
have undergone unregulated growth and will often form a mass or lump, but
may be distributed diffusely.
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4. CAUSES OF CANCER
 Environment
 Diet
 Obesity
 Infections
 Radiations
 Stress
 Lack of physical activity
 Pollution
 Smoking
 Viruses
 Hormones
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5. Properties of cancer cells
 Self sufficiency in growth signalling
 Insensitivity to anti growth signals
 Evasion of apoptosis
 Enabling the limitless replicative potential
 Sustainment to angiogenesis
 Activation of metastasis and invasion of tissue
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6. SYMPTOMS
 Unusual lump in the body
 Changes in mole in the body
 Changes in mole on the skin
 Difficulty in swallowing
 Abnormal bleeding
 Bleeding in urine
 Unexplained weight loss
 Difficulty passing urine
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8. RECENT ADVANCES IN CANCER TREATMENT
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9.  Nitrogen Mustards:-
 Trofosfamide
Prodrug of ifosfamide
Orally active
Metastatic soft tissue sarcomas
 Prednimustine
Ester of prednisolone and chlorambucil
Better drug delivery
S/E: myelosuppression, fluid retention
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10.  Alkyl sulfonates:-
 Mannosulfan
Lesser S/E
Phase 2
 Treosulfan
Evaluated for ovarian cancers
Lesser S/E compared to busulfan
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11.  Antifolates:-
 Trimetrexate:
Lipid soluble
Crosses BBB
Bypasses membrane transport system
Leiomyosarcoma & Skin Cancer
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12.  Pyrimidine Analogues:-
 Carmofur:
Oral lipophilic derivative of 5-FU
Manageable toxicities (hot flushes, urinary frequency)
Serious toxicity- Leucoencephalopathy
Adjuvant chemotherapy for curatively resected Colorectal Cancer
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13. Newer Drug Carrier Systems
 Enhance delivery of anticancer drug to tumour tissue
 Minimize its distribution & toxicity in healthy tissue
 Effective chemotherapy requires directed action of drug
 Undirected distribution→ ↓ therapeutic effectiveness ↑ S/E & toxicities
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14.  Solubilisers:-
 Majority anticancer drugs→ poor solubility
 Newer agents→ Sorporol 230, Sorporol 120 Ex,
Aceporol 345-T, Riciporol 335
 Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery Formulations (SEDDS)
 Enhance oral absorption of poorly soluble drugs
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15.  Polymer Drug Conjugates:-
 Polymer backbone linked with drug & targeting ligand
 Improved pharmacokinetic profile→ improved organ
specific & tumor specific delivery
 Leak through disorganized vasculature→
accumulates in tumor
 Example:
Daunorubicin,
Doxorubicin
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16.  Proteins & Amino acids as Carrier system:-
 D-alanine with nitrogen mustard→ good bioavailability
 Serum albumin of human, bovine or rat origin
 Cyclodextrins
 Carbohydrate macrocycles
 Form molecular inclusion complexes with hydrophobic
molecules
 A/E renal toxicity
 Eg: melphalan & carmustine
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17.  Nanotechnology:-
 Highly targeted therapy with high efficacy & low toxicity.
 Transport of drug across BBB.
 Deliver anticancer drugs into cells without triggering p-
glycoprotein pump
 Paclitaxel, Doxorubicin, Dexamethasone 5- FU
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18.  Carbon nanotubes:-
 Well ordered, hollow nanotubes
 Single or multiple graphene sheets rolled into a cylinder
 Single & multiwalled carbon nanotubes
 Consist of fluorescent marker and a monoclonal antibody at non-binding sites
 Penetrate cell membranes
 Delivery anticancer drug
 Eg: doxorubicin
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19.  Cancer Vaccines:-
 Cancer vaccine contain cancer cells, parts of cells or pure antigens
 ↑ immune response against cancer cells
Autologous
 Made from killed tumor cells taken from the same person
 Whom they will later be used
 Limitations:
 Expensive to create a new, unique vaccine for each patient.
 Cells tend to mutate over time
Allogeneic
Use cells from a stock of cancer cells
Mixture of cells removed from several patients
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20.  Antigen vaccines:-
 Specific for specific cancer
 Boost immune system by using one antigen (or a few)
 Antigens are usually
 proteins or
 pieces of proteins called peptides
 Eg: CDK-4 & β-catenin→ Melanoma, Prostate cancer vaccine, Sipuleucel-T
(Provenge)
Recently been approved → Advanced prostate cancer Prostatic acid phosphatase
(PAP).
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21.  Dendritic cell vaccines :-
 Dendritic cells→ special antigen-presenting cells
 Break down cancer cells & present to T cells
 Exposed to cancer cells or cancer antigens
 Develop cancer antigens on their surface
 Help immune system recognize and destroy cancer cells that have those antigens
on them
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22.  DNA vaccines:-
 Cells can be injected with bits of DNA
 Code for Cancer cell protein antigens
 Done by DNA vectors→ plasmids
 Integrated into cells
 Skeletal muscle cells & adipose cells
 Altered cells would then make the
antigen on an ongoing basis
 Keep the immune response strong
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