One of the most important problems in the treatment of cancer is the development of drug resistance to cancer cells, which often leads to failure of treatment. When we say that the body is “resisting” the treatment of cancer, it usually refers to the ability of cancer cells to evade or withstand the effects of treatment.
Why does cancer treatment stop working?
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, D -R Angel Kulkarni, Vice President -RWE strategy and analyst in 4BaseCare, showed: “Drugs means that cancer cells do not respond to treatment as expected. There may be a partial reaction, a partial reaction. Either in some cases, there may be a recurrence of the disease, despite the best drug resistance.
Bringing your experience, D -R -Sandip Nayak, Director – Department of Surgical Oncology at Fortis Hospital in Bengalur, road road, which means when the body resists the treatment of cancer and said: “Cancer procedures such as chemotherapy, developed The developed, developed, focused on quickly divided by cells that include normal cells in the body, such as in the bone marrow, digestive tracts, which will lead to side effects. “
It added, the “term” resistance “in the treatment of cancer usually refers to the cancer itself. less effective or completely ineffective over time.
What are the potential causes of treatment/drug resistance in cancer patients?
According to Dr. Anjali Kulkarni, there may be several reasons, and it is very difficult to predict a specific cause of drug resistance. It found: “Cancer cells, environment, immune system and metabolic changes play an important role in drug resistance. Cancer cells in the tumor may have different molecular markers, and some of them cause resistance to drugs. Sometimes a tumor, specific genetic changes can change drug reaction. “
According to Dr. Sandep Najak, cancer resistance can occur from a few mechanisms, including:
- Genetic mutations in cancer cells: Cancer cells can buy mutations that make them less sensitive to the drug. For example, mutations in the EGFR gene can resist targeted treatments such as tyroskinase inhibitors.
- Mechanisms of ejection medication: Cancer cells can develop the ability to pump out the drug using proteins such as P-glycoprotein, reducing the effectiveness of the drug.
- Microen tumors: The environment around the tumor, including immune cells, blood vessels and extracellular matrix, can protect cancer cells from treatment. For example, hypoxia (low oxygen level) in the micro -session of the tumor may reduce the effectiveness of radiation therapy.
- Stem cells of cancer: Some rivers contain a small population of cancer cells that are essentially resistant to treatment and can restore the tumor after therapy.
- Epigenetic changes: Changes in gene expression without changing the DNA sequence can also contribute to resistance. For example, cancer cells can silence the genes that make them sensitive to treatment.
- Evading immunity: In immunotherapy, cancer cells can shy away from detecting the immune system by reducing molecules, such as PD-L1 or mutation of antigens that are focused on immune cells.
Refusal: This article is intended only for information purposes rather than to replace professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of a doctor with any medical issues.
