Cancer is a group of diseases that occur as a result of the uncontrolled proliferation of cells in different organs in our body
, with different clinical appearance, treatment and approach.
It ranks 2nd among the causes of death in our country. Cancer has been the leading cause of death in the world since 2015. In our country, as of the end of 2008, the incidence of cancer is calculated as approximately 280 per hundred thousand in men and 172 in women.
In summary; In our country, 170 thousand people are diagnosed with cancer every year. 2/3 of these cancers occur in men, 1/3 in women. This ratio is the same in the world. While in the world, the top three cancer types in men are prostate, lung and colon cancer; in our country, this ranking is lung, prostate and bladder. The top three cancer types in women in the world are breast, colon and lung cancer; In Turkey, the order is breast, thyroid
and colorectal cancer.
New drugs give hope...
Medical treatment of cancer is better with new drugs developed recently. It has reached a promising situation:
Monoclonal antibodies: They bind mostly to parts called receptors on the surface of the tumor cell
. These drugs are generally used intravenously and ensure the destruction of tumor cells. Sometimes, they prevent the proliferation of tumor cells by changing the distribution of the signals produced by the receptors they bind to within the cell. Some of these drugs also
act by disrupting the nutrition of the tumor by preventing the cancer cell from making new vessels
. Some are human-generated, some are "chimeric". These are called half-human, half-animal
or synthetic products, some of which are produced entirely by biotechnological methods.
The diseases for which these drugs are used in our country are; lymphomas, breast cancer, large intestine
cancer, head and neck tumors, brain tumor, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer and sometimes
lung cancer.
Trosine. kinase inhibitors: An enzyme that is found in cells and is of vital importance in cells. group tyrosine kinase enables cells to proliferate. The growth of tumor
cells is prevented by tyrosine kinase inhibitors. These drugs interact greatly with drugs that increase and decrease the function of liver enzymes. Cancer patients using these drugs should pay close attention to these side effects. They are easy to use. In our country, they are used in diseases such as kidney cancer, lung cancer,
lymphomas, non-small cell lung cancers, chronic leukemias, myeloma, breast cancer,
neuroendocrine tumors, gastrointestinal stromal tumors.
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Immunotherapy drugs: They have become popular recently and have revolutionized skin cancer.
Normally, our body recognizes non-self antigens through immunity. Cancer
cells are called "T lymphocytes" in our body. By interacting with immune cells called "PD-1 / programmed cell death receptors" on cancer cell surfaces, the recognition of cancer cells by T
cells is prevented. In this way, they get rid of the immune
system. Drugs that eliminate this interaction have been very effective in cancer treatment
. These drugs used intravenously; They are very effective treatments for malignant melanoma, non-small cell lung
cancer, kidney cancer and lymphoma.
Other studies...
Apart from this, recently some cancer treatments have been used. Studies on vaccine treatments are being carried out
. However, for now, its net use is for prevention rather than treatment
It is used in cervical cancer and hepatitis B prevention. Studies on vaccine treatments for prostate cancer, kidney
cancer and lung cancer continue. Additionally
Studies are being carried out on new cellular treatments, especially in leukemias. T cells, which play a role in our immune system, interact with tumor cells in a laboratory environment with different
"cytokines". Treatment options are also being investigated, such as processing with factors that enable cell growth and giving it back to the person
.
If we compare old and new treatments;
Cancer treatment, last 10 quickly per year Although the side effects of new drugs are different from old chemotherapy drugs, their long-term side effects are not fully known. For example; While classical chemotherapy drugs affect the many systems in our body (such as bone marrow, hair, nails), skin and intestinal system; monoclonal
antibodies often cause problems such as allergic reactions, hypertension, nephrotic syndrome and skin
rash.
Tyrosine kinases cause hypothyroidism, asthenia, hypertension, skin rash, While it causes complaints such as arrhythmia
; Drugs used in immunotherapy may cause conditions such as autoimmune diseases, pneumonitis, and asthenia. Apart from this, it is a little more difficult to evaluate the treatment response in immunotherapy treatment compared to older treatments. In classical chemotherapies, tumors shrink if there is a response after treatment; Although there is a response to immunotherapy treatments, they can be detected as large even if there is a response to the treatment because the immune system is stimulated. This situation
should not be forgotten. In addition, new drug treatments are much more expensive than before.
The most effective treatment: Trying to avoid risks.
Most of these drugs are "metastatic". It is used in advanced stage diseases. Another point to remember
Effective treatment for cancer is still to be protected as much as possible by reducing our risk factors
That is, not smoking, not consuming alcohol, eating a balanced diet, doing sports, being at our ideal weight and having the recommended cancer screening programs.
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