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9 bytes added ,  02:47, January 14, 2008
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==Treatment of cancer==
 
==Treatment of cancer==
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===Chemotherapy===
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===chemotherapy===
 
[[Chemotherapy]] is the use of drugs that kill [[tumor]] cells.  Conventionally, the drugs that are used are those that target cells which are rapidly undergoing [[mitosis]]; this approach is effective but is limited by side effects, which occur because these drugs have an adverse effect on normal tissues that contain rapidly-dividing cells.  Research is under way to find drugs with a wider [[therapeutic margin]].  One approach is to study specific molecular markers that may be used to identify cancer cells, and to develop drugs that preferentially kill cells that exhibit those markers.
 
[[Chemotherapy]] is the use of drugs that kill [[tumor]] cells.  Conventionally, the drugs that are used are those that target cells which are rapidly undergoing [[mitosis]]; this approach is effective but is limited by side effects, which occur because these drugs have an adverse effect on normal tissues that contain rapidly-dividing cells.  Research is under way to find drugs with a wider [[therapeutic margin]].  One approach is to study specific molecular markers that may be used to identify cancer cells, and to develop drugs that preferentially kill cells that exhibit those markers.
    
===radiation therapy===
 
===radiation therapy===
 +
{{stub}}
    
===surgery===
 
===surgery===
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