Drug therapy

In the Department of Drug Therapy of our clinic, oncology is treated with medications and the following services are provided:

• Cancer chemotherapy.
• Treatment of cancer with immunotherapy.
• Treatment with drugs of a hormonal nature.
• Treatment of cancer with targeted drugs.

The clinics of our medical center also treat other cancers (and not only) diseases with the most modern methods. An important role is given to anticancer drug therapy.

Our advantages:

• The clinical oncology specialists at our center are highly qualified.
• An oncology consultation is being held.
• International drug therapy protocols are observed, foreign and Russian standards are taken into account.
• The latest generations of foreign and Russian drugs are used for drug therapy and oncology treatment.
• Modern accompanying cancer treatment is provided, which minimizes the possible side effects of drug therapy.
• Hospitalization in a 24-hour hospital is provided (optional/necessary).
• Detailed diagnostics are carried out (the clinic has its own laboratory where blood tests, MRI, CT, mammography, biopsy are performed).
• It is possible to provide round-the-clock assistance, monitoring and diagnostics.
• The condition of each patient is monitored between cycles of drug therapy.
• There is a full-fledged intensive care unit in each medical center of our clinic.
• Oncological treatment under CHI is available.

Drug therapy for malignant tumors allows:

• Reduce tumor size before surgery or radiation therapy.
• Improve outcomes of other cancer treatments.
• Destroy cancer cells that may have remained after surgery.
• Combat metastasis and tumor recurrence.

Clinical studies have shown that not in all cases, hair falls out after chemotherapy. This side effect causes only a part of the drugs that many patients will not encounter.

Types of chemotherapy for cancer:

• Neoadjuvant - most often used before surgery to reduce the number of cancer cells.
• Adjuvant - prophylactic, prescribed after cancer treatment to prevent recurrence.
• Therapeutic - an independent method of treating cancer with drugs.

The following drugs are used in chemotherapy for cancer, which include:

• Alkylating antineoplastic anticancer drugs - destroy the DNA of a cancer cell, which leads to its death.
• Alkylating triazines - prevent the proliferation of cancer cells.
• Antimetabolites cause the death of cancer cells.
• Anthracycline antibiotics - disrupt the vital processes of cancer cells.
• Various inhibitors of cancer cell division.

Drugs are often given orally, but are mostly given intravenously (using a catheter) or intramuscularly.

Some drugs act systemically (on the whole body), others locally. After a course of chemotherapy, a period of rehabilitation must necessarily follow. To eliminate or alleviate side effects effects (the most common of which are nausea and vomiting), infectious and other complications, special agents are used.

Chemotherapy is used to treat cancers such as lymphoma, skin melanoma, germ cell tumors, cancer of the lungs, liver, stomach, bladder, intestines. prostate, testis, pancreas, uterus, mammary glands, ovaries.

Many neoplasms have some features that distinguish them from healthy cells. This may be an increased number of receptors on the surface of abnormal cells, some specific mutations, or the activation of certain genes. That is, these cells have a specific target (target - English), which is directed by specially designed targeted drugs. Additional immunohistochemical or genetic studies of the tumor tissue are required to identify targets.

Drug therapy in oncology includes the use of targeted anticancer drugs, which are divided into 2 groups:

• Monoclonal antibodies (their name ends with "-mab") are intended for intravenous administration.
• Small molecules of various types (most have names ending in "-nib"), most of which are ingested.

Because these drugs act predominantly on cells with the appropriate targets, the effect on healthy cells is significantly less and the frequency of side effects is significantly lower than with chemotherapy. For example, hair loss is observed only in rare cases. In tumors where there is only one mutation that caused the development of the tumor, the use of a properly selected targeted drug has a very quick positive effect. Improvement occurs within a few days.

A number of malignant tumors are hormone-dependent, that is, their growth is enhanced under the influence of hormones. First of all, these include tumors of the prostate gland, the body of the uterus, some subtypes of breast cancer.

The task of hormone therapy is to stop the stimulating effect of hormones on the tumor. This is achieved in various ways: the production of hormones in the body can be reduced or the effect of hormones on tumor cells can be blocked.

Unlike chemotherapy, oncology treatment with hormones does not cause direct death of tumor cells due to their damage. Hormone therapy, inhibiting the stimulating effect of hormones, slows down the division of tumor cells until it stops completely. If it is impossible to divide, some of the tumor cells die.

It is prescribed for drug treatment of lung cancer, cancer of the breast, ovaries, uterus, prostate.

Views:

• Neoadjuvant - used before surgery to shrink the tumor.
• Adjuvant - most often prescribed after the main treatment to prevent recurrence and metastases of cancer in various organs.
• Therapeutic - is the main method of treating cancer with the help of drugs.

Even in the inoperable stage of cancer, hormone therapy is very effective and can be used as palliative care, reducing pain and prolonging the life of many patients by 3-5 years.

A type of antitumor therapy that is aimed at activating the body's own immune system.

A malignant tumor in the process of its growth releases special immunosuppressive substances that suppress the body's immune system and make the tumor "invisible" to immune cells. This allows it to grow and metastasize freely, while normally these cells should be destroyed by cells of the immune system. Immunotherapy drugs block the action of these immunosuppressive substances and allow the body's immune cells to recognize and destroy the cancer.

Treatment of cancer with immunotherapy drugs is also indicated to reduce the side effects of radiation therapy.

The effectiveness of antitumor treatment with the use of special drugs has long been proven. Doctors of the K+31 clinic develop effective treatment regimens, use the most modern medicines and medical equipment.