Targeted Therapy [Video]

If chemotherapy is a shotgun, targeted therapy is the sniper. But what’s sniped? Cancer cells often carry mutations that normal cells don’t. Targeted therapies exploit these differences by developing agents that specifically interact with these mutated genes or their products. Some boost the immune system’s ability to fight the cancer. Some inhibit enzymes, proteins or signals involved in tumor growth. Others prevent the formation of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow. These methods can be combined with chemotherapy or radiotherapy, increasing their effectiveness. Administered through pills or IV, targeted therapies are more convenient, often with manageable side effects.