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Learn More About Cancer Research Studies
What Are Cancer Research Studies?
The unchecked expansion of aberrant cells inside the body is known as cancer. The regular cells are crowded by these aberrant cells, making it challenging for the body to operate normally. These aberrant cells may eventually grow into large lumps known as tumors.
Malignant tumors are referred to as cancer. Other tumors are benign or noncancerous. Malignant tumors, the more hazardous of the two kinds, multiply and grow before damaging the tissues and causing major health problems and even death. It is crucial to get frequent physicals, so pre-cancerous diseases or prospective malignancies may be identified and treated as soon as feasible.
Cancer is a challenging condition. Years may pass when you have cancer without showing any signs of it. At times, cancer may show obvious signs that deteriorate rapidly. Several cancer symptoms are similar to those of other, less dangerous conditions. Several symptoms might not always indicate malignancy. Generally, any alteration in the body that lasts longer than two weeks should be discussed with a healthcare professional.
Cancer research studies explore to discover more effective methods to identify, diagnose, and treat cancer. Scientists and physicians may create such studies in various methods to address their research issues.
Why Is Cancer Being Studied Through Research Studies?
The American Cancer Society estimates that 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will acquire cancer. In the United States, over 16.9 million individuals had cancer in 2019. The most prevalent cancers in the US are:
Breast cancer: The most prevalent kind of cancer is breast cancer. Females are the most impacted. However, males make up around 1% of all breast cancer incidences.
Colorectal cancer: Rectal and colon cancer affect the digestive tract differently.
Lung cancer: The second most prevalent cancer is lung cancer. Small and non-small cell lung cancer are two forms of lung cancer.
Prostate cancer: 1 in 9 males is affected by this malignancy.
Blood cancer: Lymphoma and leukemia are the two most common types of blood cancers.
Patients, relatives, and careers may have emotional health issues due to a cancer diagnosis. Anxiety, depression, and anguish are typical emotions experienced after this life-altering event. Roles at school, home, and work may all change. It's critical to detect these changes and get assistance when required.
Cancer research studies are vital to improving the lives of those afflicted by cancer. Since it is such a common disease and persists in such a complex manner, it is important to study it. Research studies can help us understand the disease, improve quality of life, and manage the cancer symptoms.
What Are the Types of Treatments Available for Cancer?
There are several methods and medications for treating cancer, and numerous additional ones are being researched. Some therapies are performed "locally," like radiation therapy and surgery, to cure a particular tumor or region of the body.
Since they may have an impact on the whole body, drug therapies (such as immunotherapy, targeted therapy, or chemotherapy) are sometimes referred to as "systemic" treatments.
Surgery
Most cancers, except for blood cancers, may be treated surgically. Early-stage tumors that haven't migrated to other body areas respond very well to this therapy. Additionally, surgery may be used to fight cancer even when the tumor has grown outside of the initial location.
Radiation Therapy
High-energy rays are used in radiation treatment to kill cancer cells. Radiation therapy can be used alone or in conjunction with other cancer treatments. Additionally, it can lessen the symptoms and signs of advanced tumors and assist a tumor in becoming smaller.
External beam radiation, systemic radiation, and internal radiation (brachytherapy) are the three basic delivery methods for radiation therapy. Through a machine, external beam radiation delivers radiation to a tumor.
Internal radiation refers to placing a radiation source within the body, either within or close to the malignancy. Radioactive medications are administered by injection or oral administration during systemic radiation treatment.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy, which employs medications to destroy rapidly proliferating cancer cells, is among the most popular treatment choices for several cancer types.
Chemotherapy aims to treat cancer and prevent it from returning, stop its spread, or postpone its development. Large tumors could also shrink, easing cancer-related symptoms and pain.
Chemotherapy can be used alone or with other treatments to treat cancer. Chemotherapy is most often combined with other cancer therapies. Drugs used in chemotherapy operate by killing cancer cells, but they also damage healthy cells. The following adverse effects of chemotherapy might occur and need to be managed:
Immunotherapy
A more recent cancer treatment called immunotherapy stimulates the person's immune system to attack cancer. Various cancer types can be treated with immunotherapy, and it may successfully cure even the most advanced and difficult-to-treat tumors.
Immunotherapy is still being studied, although several FDA-approved medications are widely used to treat some tumors. Nevertheless, some individuals may develop adverse effects based on the medication used and the kind of cancer getting treated.
An IV infusion is used to give immunotherapies.
Targeted Therapy
A cancer treatment known as targeted therapy goes after the proteins that regulate how cancer cells divide, increase, and disseminate. It serves as the basis for precision medicine. Scientists are better equipped to develop cancer therapies targeting such proteins as they learn about the DNA alterations and proteins that fuel cancer.
Transplant Hormone Therapy
A cancer treatment called hormone therapy prevents or slows the development of cancer that depends on hormones to thrive. Hormone therapy is also known as endocrine therapy, hormonal therapy, or hormone treatment.
There are two primary uses for hormone treatment.
- Treating cancer: Hormone treatment may halt or decrease cancer progression and reduce the likelihood of it returning.
- Reduce cancer symptoms: People with prostate cancer who cannot undergo surgery or radiation treatment may benefit from hormone therapy to lessen or avoid their symptoms.
Bone Marrow or Stem Cell
People with blood-forming stem cells killed due to high amounts of radiation or chemotherapy treatment used to treat some malignancies may have the stem cells substituted via stem cell transplant operations.
During a stem cell transplant, healthy blood-forming stem cells are delivered to your system via a needle. After entering your circulation, the stem cells go to the bone marrow, replacing the cells the therapy killed. Bone marrow, umbilical cord stem cells, or blood may all be used to make the blood-forming stem cells used for transplants.
What Are Some Recent Breakthrough Research Studies for Cancer?
2022-2026: A study of ASP2138 in adults with stomach cancer or pancreatic cancer – This ongoing trial is studying the effect of the ASP2138 on types of cancer, measured through scans, x-rays, and blood tests. Different groups of people will be given higher to lower doses, and the following medical effects will be recorded to find suitable dosages.
2022: Prostate Cancer Treatment: 177Lu-PSMA-617 Considerations, Concepts, and Limitations –Metastatic prostate cancer that has grown resistant to medications and established therapies was found to be treated with 117Lu-PSMA-617 in phase III trials. Clear improvements were found among patients with few treatment options. FDA approval was granted for 117Lu-PSMA-617 on the basis of the data gathered in the VISION trials.
2022-2024: Efficacy and Safety of Lenvatinib Plus Pembrolizumab Plus Chemotherapy in Participants With Advanced/Metastatic Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma – This ongoing trial is to test the safety and efficacy of lenvatinib, pembrolizumab, and chemotherapy compared to only chemotherapy in people with metastatic/advanced gastroesophageal cancer.
2022: DESTINY-Breast04 clinical trial – Patients in this phase 3 experiment had low levels of the HER2 protein. They received T-DXd, an antibody-drug combination that targets the HER2 gene. Compared to conventional chemotherapy, it improved overall and progression-free survival.
2008 - Recent Advances in Esophageal Cancer Chemotherapy - This investigation is based on several clinical studies for esophageal cancer, including using signal transduction and monoclonal antibodies for EGFR. It investigated the effectiveness of chemotherapy and medication combinations in treating cancer.
2022: Immune activation is essential for the antitumor activity of EZH2 inhibition in urothelial carcinoma - Tazemetostat, an epigenetic medication used to treat rare sarcomas and blood cancers, can halt the growth of bladder cancer owing to its distinct mode of action, according to an animal study by Northwestern Medicine researchers. The medicine stimulates the immune system in addition to inhibiting the tumor. The research also revealed that around 70% of bladder cancer patients had the mutations that tazemetostat successfully treats.
2022: Lenvatinib plus Pembrolizumab for Advanced Endometrial Cancer - A clinical investigation revealed that administering Pembrolizumab and the targeted treatment medication Lenvatinib to patients with advanced endometrial cancer that is neither dMMR nor MSI-H may halt the progression and improve overall survival rates. The combination of the medications was approved due to the trial's findings.
Who Are Some of the Key Opinion Leaders / Researchers / Institutions Conducting Depression Cancer Research Studies?
Over 1200 organizations from 172 countries make up the Union for International Cancer Control's (UICC) membership base, which is rapidly expanding. These organizations represent the most significant health ministries, cancer societies, and patient groups from around the world, as well as influential researchers, experts, and policymakers, in cancer control and prevention. Additionally, UICC has more than 50 strategic alliances.
American Institute for Cancer Research
The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), established in 1982, is one of the top organizations that fund research in hospitals, universities, and research facilities domestically and overseas. But what sets them apart even further is that the AICR concentrates on lifestyle factors like nutrition and exercise and their critical roles in cancer prevention.
The biggest non-government sponsor of cancer research in the US is the American Cancer Society (ACS). It has worked hard for over a century and offers numerous programs, resources, and ways to educate and assist patients and their families.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) offers various services for individuals with various types of cancer, from workshops that help chemotherapy patients feel more confident to fundraise that bring people together.