cancer
Chemotherapy and Other Systemic Cancer Treatments
Other Drugs
Cancer cells are immature and grow rapidly, so one type of drug promotes the more rapid maturation (differentiation) of cancer cells to slow the growth of the tumor. These differentiating drugs may only be effective for a short time, so they are often used in Combination Cancer Therapy . Anti-angiogenesis drugs prevent a tumor from forming new blood vessels. If blood vessel growth is prevented, the cancer will lack the blood supply needed to grow. Some drugs can block blood vessel formation to cancer cells.Bevacizumabis a monoclonal antibody that blocks a growth factor needed by blood vessels. It is effective against kidney cancers and colon cancer. Other drugs, such assorafenibandsunitinib, block the receptor for the blood vessel growth factor. These may be effective in kidney and liver cancers. Still other drugs target the pathways cancer cells use to signal additional cells to form or grow. 