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Related Concept Videos

Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine02:50

Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine

Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Cancer02:18

Cancer

Cancers arise due to mutations in genes involved in the regulation of cell division, which leads to unrestricted cell proliferation. Modern science and medicine have made great strides in the understanding and treatment of cancer, including eradicating cancer in some patients. However, there is still no cure for cancer. This is largely due to the fact that cancer is a large group of many diseases.
Cancer Therapies02:49

Cancer Therapies

Cancer therapies are various modes of treatment, such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy that are administered to cancer patients.
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
Treatment Resistant Cancers02:56

Treatment Resistant Cancers

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. A cancer cell is genetically unstable and hence can mutate faster. They can also modify their microenvironment and escape immune surveillance. The difficulties in treating cancer are further compounded by the emergence of rapid resistance to anticancer drugs. The most common ways to attain resistance in cancer cells include alteration in drug transport and metabolism, modification of drug target, elevated DNA damage response, or...
Tumor Immunotherapy01:27

Tumor Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Isolation and Expansion of Cytotoxic Cytokine-induced Killer T Cells for Cancer Treatment
11:11

Isolation and Expansion of Cytotoxic Cytokine-induced Killer T Cells for Cancer Treatment

Published on: January 24, 2020

Why does cytotoxic chemotherapy cure only some cancers?

Philip Savage1, Justin Stebbing, Mark Bower

  • 1Department of Medical Oncology, Imperial College School of Medicine, Charing Cross Hospital, Fulham Palace Road, London, UK. philip.savage@imperial.nhs.uk

Nature Clinical Practice. Oncology
|November 5, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Chemotherapy cures some cancers by exploiting a

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Electrochemotherapy of Tumours
03:57

Electrochemotherapy of Tumours

Published on: December 15, 2008

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Isolation and Expansion of Cytotoxic Cytokine-induced Killer T Cells for Cancer Treatment
11:11

Isolation and Expansion of Cytotoxic Cytokine-induced Killer T Cells for Cancer Treatment

Published on: January 24, 2020

Electrochemotherapy of Tumours
03:57

Electrochemotherapy of Tumours

Published on: December 15, 2008

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Biology
  • Molecular Oncology

Background:

  • Curative chemotherapy is established for certain malignancies like testicular cancer and lymphomas.
  • However, cure rates for common advanced solid tumors remain poor despite decades of cytotoxic drug development.
  • This disparity suggests intrinsic tumor properties, not drug efficacy alone, dictate curability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the underlying biological mechanisms responsible for differential chemotherapy curability in various cancers.
  • To identify common features of highly curable malignancies treated with chemotherapy.
  • To propose a model explaining why some cancers are inherently sensitive to chemotherapy-induced cell death.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of curable (e.g., testicular cancer, lymphomas) versus non-curable (common advanced solid tumors) malignancies.
  • Review of genetic and epigenetic profiles of cells within these tumor types.
  • Examination of apoptosis, DNA repair, and senescence pathways in relation to chemotherapy response.

Main Results:

  • Highly curable cancers often originate from cells with inherent genetic recombination processes.
  • These cells maintain sensitivity to proapoptotic stresses due to minimal further genetic/epigenetic alterations in key regulatory genes.
  • This 'locked-in' state of apoptotic sensitivity enables effective chemotherapy-induced cell death.

Conclusions:

  • The curability of certain cancers with chemotherapy is linked to an intrinsic, 'locked-in' sensitivity to apoptosis.
  • This sensitivity arises from the cell of origin's physiological processes and subsequent lack of disruptive genetic/epigenetic changes.
  • Understanding these mechanisms could inform strategies to improve chemotherapy efficacy in less responsive solid tumors.