New developments in cancer treatment
Cancer treatment has made significant progress in the past decade. In addition to traditional methods such as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, new innovative therapies now allow oncologists to target cancer with greater precision and harness the immune system to fight the disease. The most promising of these innovations are Antibody-Derived Conjugates (ADCs) and immunotherapy.
Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs)
ADCs are an advanced and targeted cancer therapy that combines an antibody that targets cancer cells, a potent anticancer drug, and a linker that connects them.
How do ADCs work?
Antibody-Derivative Conjugates (ADCs) work like “smart bombs” that deliver the drug directly to the target:
- Localization: The antibody recognizes and binds to specific receptors on the surface of cancer cells.
- Drug transport: The antibody-drug complex enters the cell.
- Targeted action: Once inside the cell, the drug is released and destroys the cancer cell from the inside.
In this way, the treatment allows for high precision in destroying cancer cells, while often causing fewer side effects than conventional chemotherapy, as it limits damage to healthy tissues.
What are the benefits of ADCs:
Conjugated Antibodies offer significant advantages in modern oncology:
- Targeted therapy with fewer side effects compared to chemotherapy.
- Useful in cancers resistant to classical therapies.
- They can be combined with other treatments for better effectiveness.
Today, ADCs have been approved for certain types of cancer, such as breast, gynecological cancers, bladder cancers, gastrointestinal (stomach, intestine), cholangiocarcinoma, liver, lung cancer.
Scientific research is evolving rapidly, with the aim of expanding their use to even more types of cancer.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is based on harnessing the body’s natural defense mechanisms to fight cancer. Instead of directly attacking cancer cells, as chemotherapy does, it activates and strengthens the immune system so that it can recognize and destroy them more effectively.
One of the best-known types of immunotherapy is checkpoint inhibitors. These treatments block the “shields” that cancer cells use to hide from the immune system, allowing immune cells to locate and neutralize them.
Other forms of Immunotherapy include:
- CAR T-cell therapy: Mechanical modification of the patient’s immune cells to recognize and destroy cancer.
- Cancer Vaccines: Activating the Immune System for prevention of recurrence and treatment of existing tumors.
What are the benefits of immunotherapy:
Immunotherapy offers significant advantages in the treatment of cancer:
- It can achieve long-term control of the disease, even after treatment is stopped, thanks to the “memory” of the immune system system
- Acts differently from chemotherapy, activating the body’s natural defenses
- Often presents a different side effect profile, with fewer than the traditional toxicities of chemotherapy.
Immunotherapy has already demonstrated significant efficacy, leading to increased survival and long-term responses in a wide range of cancers, such as melanoma, lung cancer, breast, kidney, bladder, as well as gastrointestinal cancers (stomach, esophagus, intestine), liver and bile duct cancer, as well as gynecological cancers.
Combinative Approaches and Personalization
Recent developments in oncology allow the combination of ADCs and immunotherapy with each other or with other therapeutic methods, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. At the same time, personalized medicine, i.e. the selection of treatment based on the genetic and molecular characteristics of each patient’s tumor, has emerged as a cornerstone of the modern anticancer approach. These strategies enhance treatment efficacy, reduce toxicity, and offer new perspectives to patients who previously had limited treatment options.
Thoughts for Patients
- ADCs and immunotherapy are not suitable for all types of cancer and the choice depends on the type and molecular tests of the tumor.
- Close monitoring by an oncologist is necessary due to possible immunological adverse side effects of immunotherapy or reactions during intravenous infusion of ADCs.
- Some patients may need genetic testing or biomarker testing to determine whether they are suitable for treatment with ADCs or immunotherapy.
Conclusion
Progress in Conjugates Antibodies (ADCs) and immunotherapy have opened new avenues in the treatment of cancer, offering real hope to many patients. Personalizing treatment and participating in treatment regimens that include ADCs, immunotherapy or even clinical trials can offer significant benefits. Discuss with your oncologist which approach is most appropriate for your case.
These innovative treatments have already significantly improved oncology care, increasing the chances of a better quality of life and longer survival for patients cancer patients.
A new era in Oncology is marked by the opening of the International Oncology Center of the Athens Medical Group in Thessaloniki. The model International Oncology Center operates with specifications comparable to the leading oncology centers worldwide, offering holistic care to each patient, from early diagnosis, personalized treatment and continuous monitoring, in ultra-modern, specially designed spaces, with high security and aesthetics.
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