Recent advances in cancer research have developed new therapies and drugs that have enhanced cancer patients' survival rates and quality of life.

Currently, targeted therapies, a type of cancer therapy that relies on the body's immune system to combat cancer, are primarily used to treat cancer. Monoclonal antibodies are one type of immunotherapy that uses antibodies to identify and eradicate cancer cells. Cancer cells can also be killed using chemotherapy medications like paclitaxel (Paclitax Nab Injection) by targeting their DNA and preventing it from proliferating and dividing. Radiation treatment and surgery to remove tumors are also used to treat cancer.

In order to increase the efficacy of current treatments and more effectively target cancer cells, researchers are constantly researching and studying cancer. Aside from designing therapies to potentially prevent cancer from reoccurring after treatment, ongoing efforts exist to create drugs that can stop cancer from occurring in the primary site.

There are seven types of novel cancer treatments.

1. Personalized Medicine: A major development in cancer treatment and research is personalized medicine. This strategy involves adjusting a patient's treatment course based on their genetic profile and other factors. It could involve using biomarkers to more accurately forecast how a patient will react to various therapies as well as genetic testing to identify which medications would be most successful in treating cancer for a certain patient.
2. Immunotherapy: Another significant development in cancer treatment and research is immunotherapy. In order to destroy cancer cells, this approach includes stimulating the body's immune system. It can be applied to treating melanoma, bladder cancer, lung cancer, and various other cancers.
3. Targeted Therapies: The use of targeted therapies in cancer treatment and research is expanding. These medications target certain chemicals or metabolic processes in cancer cells, which can minimize the negative effects of conventional therapies. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies are good illustrations. The FDA has approved the use of the targeted medications dabrafenib (Rafinlar 50mg Capsule) and trametinib (Meqsel 0.5mg Tablet) together for almost any advanced solid tumor with a certain BRAF gene mutation.
4. Combination Therapies: Combination therapies involve using two or more treatments in conjunction with one another. This concept is gaining popularity in cancer research and treatment because it enables more efficient care with fewer side effects.
5. Nanotechnology: Another innovation in cancer research and treatment is nanotechnology. This method delivers medications to specific body parts using incredibly small particles. This might lessen the risk of harming healthy cells and decrease unwanted effects.
6. Gene Editing: In terms of cancer research and treatment, gene editing is a relatively recent development. With this method, genes can be edited using CRISPR technology, potentially enhancing the effectiveness of cancer treatments for certain cancer types.
7. KRAS-targeted drugs: KRAS-targeted drugs are specifically designed to target an abnormal protein known as oncogene KRAS. KRAS is a mutated form of the gene KRAS, which is linked to the development of many types of cancer. A gene mutation can produce abnormal protein, which can promote unchecked cell proliferation and cancer. KRAS-targeted medications aim to inhibit the function of the mutant KRAS protein, which may aid in stopping or reducing the proliferation of cancer cells. Amivantamab, sotorasib, and lorlatinib are a few examples of KRAS-targeted medications.

Cancer therapies – 

• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation therapy
• Immunotherapy
• Targeted drug therapy
• Hormone therapy
• Stem cell transplants
• Cryotherapy
• Hyperthermia
• Photodynamic therapy
• CAR T-cell therapies

Scientists are constantly discovering and developing novel cancer treatments and medications to improve existing treatments' effectiveness and target cancer cells more precisely. Researchers are also working to develop cancer therapies that can prevent cancer from developing in the primary site and stop it from reoccurring after standard treatment.