The different kinds of targeted therapy can be grouped into two main categories: small-molecule inhibitor drugs and monoclonal antibodies. Both of these groups target specific molecules that cause the growth of cancers.
Small Molecule Inhibitors
These drugs directly block the growth of cancer cells by disrupting the proteins inside the cell. 10 Examples are kinase inhibitors like CDK4/6 inhibitors and PARP inhibitors. Most small molecule inhibitors are taken orally.
Monoclonal Antibodies
These are manufactured or synthetic versions of antibodies that occur naturally in the body. They are very specific, in that they bind to a particular protein on a cancer cell, or the tissues around that cancer cell, and cause destruction. Monoclonal antibodies are usually administered by intravenous infusion or injections (11).
What Cancers Can be Treated with Targeted Therapy?
Targeted therapy can be used to treat:
- Breast cancer.
- Lung cancer.
- Colorectal cancer.
- Melanoma.
- Head and neck cancers.
- Kidney cancer.
- Liver cancer.
- Leukaemias and lymphomas.
Doctors recommend it when molecular tests reveal your cancer will respond to targeted treatments. If your cancer is unlikely to respond to targeted treatment, you can be considered ineligible. Targeted therapy is usually applied to later stages of cancer (stages III and IV) to slow down the progression of the disease.
However, it is now increasingly being used to treat early stages of cancer.
Targeted Therapy for Breast Cancer
Targeted therapy for breast cancer can be given as a tablet or an IV infusion/injection. It is usually recommended because most breast cancers have identifiable molecular targets that the drug can work against. It can be used across all stages of breast cancer, even in the metastatic stages.
The main types of targeted therapy for breast cancer include: HER2-targeted therapy, CDK4/6 inhibitors, PARP inhibitors, and others.
Targeted Therapy for Lung Cancer
Like with breast cancer, this can be given as an oral suspension, as an intravenous infusion, or as an injection into the skin or the muscle. It helps in lung cancer because lung cancer responds to molecular targeting and is usually given in the later stages. Main drugs for lung cancer targeted therapy target specific mutations like EGFR, ALK, ROS, and others.
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