Reverse effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy

Conventional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy can create cancer stem cells that are resistant to the next treatment, according to Fox News.

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are common methods used to treat cancer. However, a new study at Harvard Medical School (USA) shows that these methods may lead to unexpected results.

Previous studies have shown that cancer stem cells give rise to new tumors. So cancer recurs and spreads throughout the body.

Scientists also found that cancer stem cells are likely to survive chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

In this study, scientists at Harvard Medical School for normal cancer cells are exposed to gamma rays, a type of ray used in radiation therapy.

They found that, under normal conditions that can promote stem cell growth, normal cancer cells form cell spheres - a sign of cancer stem cells.

In addition, when analyzing normal cancer cells have been irradiated, the scientists found that the activity of the gene is related to the activity of stem cells.

They concluded that radiotherapy and chemotherapy could give rise to cancerous stem cells, able to resist subsequent treatment and cause tumors to spread throughout the body.

Dr Chiang Li from Harvard Medical School in Boston (USA), who conducted the study, said: ' This explains why radiotherapy and chemotherapy to treat cancer at the end of the stage are often ineffective. as expected'.

Works posted on Cell Cycle.