primary intolerance with conventional therapy

Primary Intolerance with Conventional Therapy

Primary intolerance to conventional therapy is a phenomenon in which conventional treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy fail to work effectively in treating a cancer. It is a serious problem as it can significantly reduce the chances of successful treatment. Understandably, patients who encounter such a condition suffer from a great degree of uncertainty and anxiety.

In a study conducted in 2016 by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), it was found that 7% of all cancer patients face primary resistance to therapy, which increases to 60% when the tumor has already progressed to the advanced stages. It was also seen that the resistance to therapy rises with the increasing complexity of the tumor. The findings of the study suggest that primary resistance to therapy is a complex issue with numerous factors at play.

There are several reasons why primary intolerance can arise. One of the most common is the presence of genetic mutations in the tumor cells that make it resistant to conventional treatments. Other causes can be genomic alterations, epigenetic changes, immunological elements and intrinsic drug resistance.

Some of the approaches to address primary intolerance are:

• Targeted therapies: The use of drugs that will selectively target the aberrant genetic or biological pathways of the tumor cells, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the treatment.
• Immunotherapy: The use of drugs to activate the body’s immune system, so that it is able to fight the cancer cells.
• Combination approaches: The use of multiple approaches such as radiotherapy plus immunotherapy, targeted therapy plus chemotherapy and so on in order to increase the effectiveness of treatment.

Despite the advances in treatment modalities, primary intolerance to conventional therapy remains a major problem in the fight against cancer. More research and better understanding of the molecular basis of the tumor is important so that faster and better treatments can be developed for those suffering from this condition.