Decode the gene mutation to 'clean' the cancer cells

By decoding gene mutations, doctors utilize the patient's own immune system to kill cancer cells, including the late stage.

According to Dr Tan Wu Meng, Parkway Cancer Center, Singapore, the number of cancer patients is increasing worldwide, along with the researchers' efforts to find new ways to work. better in screening, diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

Dr. Tan explained, cancer is a group of diseases related to disorganized cell division. These abnormal cells are capable of invading other tissues by developing directly into nearby tissue or moving away (metastasis).

Some cancers can 'disguise' themselves to evade the human immune system.(Artwork: Health).

According to statistics, there are currently about 200 types of cancer. In Singapore, on average, there are 37 new cases of cancer discovered each day. The most common among men is colorectal, lung and prostate cancer, the most common are lung, colorectal and liver cancer. For women, the most common include, and lung, the most fatal is breast, lung and colorectal cancer.

In the past, cancer treatment stopped at traditional methods such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy. Today, with the rise of "pandemic" cancer, it has been pushing the scientific community to constantly research and find new methods to bring about a faster and safer treatment effect. One of the important advances is the introduction of target therapy. By decoding DNA from cancer cells, allowing scientists to better classify the characteristics of each type of cancer, understand cancer cells from the stage of growth to progression. Since then, the strategy to intervene and slow down the development of the disease.

Now scientists have approached the mutant gene that causes lung cancer, EGFR and ALK , to allow accurate classification of tumors. "When specifying the classification of gene mutations in tumors, we can treat patients more effectively through targeted methods, thereby improving their ability to control cancer and enhance quality. the amount of life for patients " , Dr. Tan shared.

Another revolution in cancer treatment is immunotherapy , which allows cancer cells to be killed even in the late stages. This is a method of utilizing the patient's own immune system to fight cancer. Some cancers can 'disguise' themselves to evade the human immune system. Immunotherapy will help shed the camouflaged shell of cancer cells and expose them to the immune system.

Researchers have applied immunotherapies to treat many patients with skin, lung, head and neck cancer, recorded positive results. Experts assess the birth of this therapy has special significance for people with advanced cancer. Dr. Tan remarked: "The deeper understanding of gene mutations and cancer biology helps doctors identify early cases of cancer to promptly intervene with immunotherapy. We are Further research into this method is aimed at providing better treatment results for all patients ".