Nasopharyngeal cancer treatment with targeted therapy

Targeted therapy for nasopharyngeal cancer uses drugs that target specific proteins that help tumors survive and grow. Targeted medications can disable the signals that tell cancer cells to divide, shorten their life cycle, or destroy them. Unfortunately, the treatment will not work if the tumor has no specific genetic change or protein to which the drug is directed. Therefore, molecular genetic analysis is performed before starting the course to obtain information about genes and other factors unique to your cancer. It helps to find the most effective drug that can attack it. Nasopharyngeal cancer can be treated with several medicines, e. g. , angiogenesis inhibitors. Angiogenesis is the process of the formation of new blood vessels. Tumors need blood vessels to get nutrients. Angiogenesis inhibitors starve cancer and prevent the formation of new blood vessels in the surrounding tissues. Targeted therapy can be combined with radiation therapy for early types of nasopharyngeal cancer. In addition, it is sometimes mixed with chemotherapy or used as monotherapy for more advanced stages. Medications can be administered intravenously or orally. In some cases, several remedies are prescribed according to a specific schedule.