Anti-Angiogenic Therapy

Antiangiogenic therapy inhibits the growth of new blood vessels. Because new blood vessel growth plays a critical role in many disease conditions, including disorders that cause blindness, arthritis, and cancer, angiogenesis inhibition is a "common denominator" approach to treating these diseases. Antiangiogenic drugs disable the agents that activate and promote cell growth, and directly block the growth of blood vessel cells.

Anti-EGFR Therapy

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a cell surface molecule and member of the ErbB family of receptor tyrosine kinases. Its activation leads to proliferation, anti-apoptosis, and metastatic spread, making inhibition of this pathway a compelling target. In recent years, an increasing number of clinical trials in the management of solid malignancies have become available indicating the clinical efficacy of anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies and oral small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs).

Bone Marrow Biopsy

A bone marrow biopsy is the removal of soft tissue, called marrow, from inside bone. Bone marrow is found in the hollow part of most bones. It helps form blood cells. With a needle, a tiny sample, or core, of bone marrow is taken. Your doctor may order this test if you have abnormal types or numbers of red or white blood cells or platelets on a complete blood count (CBC).  This test is used to diagnose leukemia, infections, some types of anemia, and other blood disorders. It may also be used to help determine if a cancer has spread or responded to treatment.

Continuous and Pulse-Dose Chemotherapy

Continuous and Pulse-Dose Chemotherapy is a general term for treatments that use chemical agents (drugs) to kill cancer cells. Many different kinds of drugs are used, either alone or in combination, to treat different cancers. The specific drug or combination used is chosen to best combat the type and extent of cancer present. Chemotherapy drugs are given for several reasons:

• To treat cancers that respond well to chemotherapy
• To decrease the size of tumors for easier and safer removal by surgery
• To enhance the effectiveness of other treatments, such as radiation therapy
• In higher dosages, to overcome the resistance of cancer cells
• To control the cancer and enhance the patient's quality of life

Pulse dosing is a novel approach to dosing that produces escalating antibiotic levels early in the dosing interval followed by a prolonged dose-free period. The chemotherapy is front loaded by means of four sequential bolus injections, after which chemotherapy levels are allowed to diminish until the next dose.

Radio-immnunotherapy (RIT)

Radioimmunotherapy uses an antibody labeled with a radionuclide to deliver cytotoxic radiation to a target cell. In cancer therapy, an antibody with specificity for a tumor-associated antigen is used to deliver a lethal dose of radiation to the tumor cells. The ability for the antibody to specifically bind to a tumor-associated antigen increases the dose delivered to the tumor cells while decreasing the dose to normal tissues. By its nature, RIT requires a tumor cell to express an antigen that is unique to the neoplasm or is not accessible in normal cells

Targeted Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a medical term defined as "treatment of disease by inducing, enhancing, or suppressing an immune response". Targeted immunotherapy when used to treat cancer attempts to stimulate the immune system to reject and destroy cancerous tumors by supporting the body's natural ability to combat disease. The use of immunotherapy treatments has proven beneficial to reducing metastatic cancers particularly when combined with other existing treatments. 

Targeted Molecular Therapy

Molecular targeted therapies are designed to work specifically on the parts of cells that lead to abnormal growth and the development of cancer. Molecular targeted therapies can block or slow the growth of certain types of cancer, while minimizing harm to normal cells. They have been studied in clinical trials over a number of years and have been proven to be generally safe and to work in treating many different types of cancer.  Whereas chemotherapy affects cells throughout the body, damaging healthy cells as well as cancer cells, molecular therapy is designed just to target the cancer cells and minimize damage to healthy cells.