Developing New Treatments for Cancer

21.03.2024

DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TREATMENT FOR CANCER

The development of new treatment methods in cancer therapy is one of the most important priorities of modern medicine. Cancer is a complex and diverse group of diseases that affects the lives of millions of people worldwide. Although current treatments have achieved significant success in some types of cancer, there are still cases where they are inadequate and resistant types of cancer. New treatment methods can increase patients' survival rates and improve their quality of life by providing more effective and personalized treatment options. Modern approaches, especially targeted therapies and immunotherapy, have great potential to increase the effectiveness of treatment by targeting cancer cells more specifically and with fewer side effects. In addition, advances in early diagnosis and treatment methods can allow effective intervention in the early stages of cancer, preventing the progression of the disease and increasing the chances of recovery. For these reasons, researching and developing new treatment methods in cancer is of vital importance for the general health of both individual patients and the society.

Image 1: There are thousands of studies ongoing today to develop new treatments for cancer (drug, radiotherapy, nuclear therapy, etc.).

The development of new therapies in cancer treatment is a complex and multi-stage process. It will be useful to explain this process step by step:

1-Basic Research: The development of new treatments begins with researching basic information about cancer biology. At this stage, how cancer cells grow, spread and differ from normal cells is examined.

2-Drug Discovery: With information gained from basic research, potential drugs that can inhibit the growth of cancer cells or kill them are discovered.

3-Preliminary Clinical Tests: Discovered drugs are tested in laboratory environments, usually on cancer cell cultures and animal models. These tests are done to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the drug.

4-Preclinical Development: Once the drug candidate is shown to be safe and effective, the preclinical development phase begins. At this stage, pharmacological and toxicological tests necessary for the use of the drug in humans are performed.

Image 2: The process of developing new drugs in cancer treatment is quite challenging and costly. Not every drug developed is put into use because it does not show sufficient effectiveness.

5-Clinical Trials: The drug begins testing on humans. These experiments are usually carried out in several different phases:

Phase I: Initial human trials to determine the safety and optimal dosage of the drug.

Phase II: To test the effectiveness and safety of the drug on more patients.

Phase III: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the drug compared to current standard treatments in large groups of patients.

6-Approval Process: If clinical trials are successful, the drug manufacturer applies to the relevant government organization (for example, the FDA in the USA) for approval of the drug. These institutions evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the drug and approve or disapprove it.

7-Launch and Follow-up: After approval, the drug is put on the market. The long-term effects and possible side effects of the drug are monitored after it is put on the market.

8-Continuous Development: Feedback from clinical use and new research provide a continuous basis for the development and improvement of the drug.

In research in the field of cancer treatment, intense efforts are made to develop drugs for different types of cancer. However, some types of cancer are subject to further research and development. Especially common types of cancer such as breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer and colorectal cancer attract intense attention. This is because these types of cancer are common and affect large groups of patients. It is also an important research area for new treatment approaches such as blood cancers, lymphoma and leukemia, known as hematological cancers. In recent years, innovative treatment methods such as immunotherapy have made great progress in cancer treatment and brought new hopes for many types of cancer. Researchers in the field of cancer treatment continue their studies with the aim of developing more effective and specific treatment options by focusing on different types of cancer.

The development time and costs of new drugs in cancer treatment vary greatly. The development process of a drug usually takes between 10 and 15 years and includes a number of stages such as laboratory research, animal experiments and clinical studies. Additionally, review by regulatory agencies may take additional time for drugs to be approved at the end of this process. Costs vary depending on the drug type, development stages and countries' healthcare systems. It can often require investments worth billions of dollars, and these costs may vary depending on the likelihood of success of the drugs, the prevalence of the disease it treats, and the complexity of the drug. Since the development of cancer drugs is a long-term and costly process, it is of great importance to support advances in this field.