Bone Cancer Targeted Therapy
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Targeted Therapy for Bone Cancer
Targeted therapies are a new class of drugs that are being used to treat some forms of cancer at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA).
Like chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy blocks the growth and spread of cancer by preventing cancer cells from dividing or by destroying them directly. Unlike chemotherapy, which affects all rapidly dividing cells in the body, targeted drugs attack specific molecules in the cancer cells, so their effects are less damaging to healthy tissues.
Imatinib & Other Targeted Therapies for Bone Cancer
Researchers have found that some chordomas have defects in specific genes known as c-kit, PDGFRA and PDGFRB, which are involved in regulating the growth of cells. Imatinib (Gleevec®) is a targeted drug that has been shown to be effective in some patients in treating cancers with mutations in these genes, and may sometimes be used to treat chordomas that have metastasized or returned after previous treatment.
A common treatment for some cancers that spread to the bone, such as metastatic breast cancer to bone, is Zometa®, which is in a class of drugs called bisphosphonates. Generally administered through an infusion, this targeted drug therapy is used to reduce the risk of bone complications, such as fractures.
Additional targeted drugs are being evaluated for use in other bone cancers. If bone cancer targeted drug therapy may be right for you, your care team at CTCA will take the time to discuss your options and answer all of your questions.
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