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→Treatment of cancer
==Treatment of cancer==
==Treatment of cancer==
Cancer treatment requires destruction or removal of cancerous cells with minimal effect to healthy cells. Since the cancerous cells are descended from healthy cells and are thus very similar to them, this is very difficult. Furthermore, the small differences are dependent on what mutations initially caused the cancer in the first place, so most treatments are only effective against a certain percentage of cancers from any one tissue.
Cancer treatment requires destruction or removal of cancerous cells with minimal effect to [[health]]y cells. Since the cancerous cells are descended from healthy cells and are thus very similar to them, this is very difficult. Furthermore, the small differences are dependent on what mutations initially caused the cancer in the first place, so most treatments are only effective against a certain percentage of cancers from any one tissue.
===Chemotherapy===
===Chemotherapy===
===Immunotherapy===
===Immunotherapy===
The immune system contains a number of cell types, such as [[NK cells]] and [[cytotoxic T cell|killer T cells]] that have the capability to destroy other cells that have become infected with viruses or have become cancerous. [[Immunotherapy]] involves the enhancement or potentiation of these natural defenses against tumor cells. This is useful because some cancer cells may have mutations that make it hard for the immune system to recognize them as abnormal. A common procedure is to remove immature immune cells from the patient's [[bone marrow]], purify the T-cells and expose them to [[antigen]]s from the tumor. The activated cells are then re-injected, allowing them to seek out cancerous tissues.
The immune system contains a number of cell types, such as [[NK cells]] and [[cytotoxic T cell|killer T cells]] that have the capability to destroy other cells that have become infected with viruses or have become cancerous. [[Immunotherapy]] involves the enhancement or potentiation of these natural defenses against tumor cells. This is useful because some cancer cells may have mutations that make it hard for the immune system to recognize them as abnormal. A common procedure is to remove immature immune cells from the patient's [[bone marrow]], purify the T-cells and expose them to [[antigen]]s from the tumor. The activated cells are then re-injected, allowing them to seek out cancerous tissues.
== See also ==
== See also ==