Panama City, Fla. - If you know someone who is battling cancer, you know how difficult chemotherapy can be on the body. Hair loss, vomiting, sores in the mouth, diarrhea, and low blood counts are all common side effects. Dr. Syed Mahmood, a Hematologist/Oncologist, says a new class of drugs is now being used to make cancer treatment more tolerable. These are called targeted therapies.
Dr. Mahmood explains that traditional chemotherapy affects all cells that are rapidly growing, including the cells not affected by cancer. This is why patients see so many side effects. Targeted therapies don’t work against all cells and are not as harsh on the body.
45 year-old Glenda Patterson was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in 2006. She has undergone traditional chemotherapy and targeted therapy. She used the targeted therapy known as Herceptin and is extremely pleased. She says the use of chemotherapy and the targeted therapy together increased her survival rate by more than 50 percent.
Targeted therapies are expensive, but Dr. Mahmood says insurance helps with the cost. Patients without insurance can sometimes get assistance from the drug companies.