Experimental methods of oncology therapy. Experimental Cancer Treatment Programs in Russia and the World

The number of cancer patients is growing every year. This trend is largely due to the demographic aging of the population. Some experts argue that the main cause of this serious disease is an unfavorable environmental situation. But in combination with a genetic predisposition and work in the chemical industry, the risk of getting cancer increases. New in cancer treatment- an increasingly relevant topic today, since the traditional methods used to destroy cancer cells are not always effective.

For many years, scientists have been working on developing new methods that could eliminate this terrible disease or at least stop its progression. The results of the experiments give impressive hope that . Consider modern methods for the treatment of cancer, which have proven themselves on the positive side.

Leading clinics abroad

New cancer treatments

Thanks to medical progress and innovative technologies, new methods of cancer treatment are in many ways superior to traditional methods of oncology treatment: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy. The latter are inferior in their effectiveness, treatment period, duration of rehabilitation or general toxicity.

Cryosurgery

This method is based on the effect of ultra-low temperature (up to -198°C) on cancer cells. Cryosurgery is used both for the destruction of cancer cells of internal organs and superficial tumor formations. Using a cryoprobe or surface application, liquid nitrogen forms ice crystals inside the oncological tissue, which leads to the destruction of the tumor and the rejection of necrotic cells or absorption by other tissues.

Indications :

It can be used to treat precancerous and certain types of cancer, namely:

1. Oncology of the skin (basal, squamous cell carcinoma), musculoskeletal system, liver, prostate, retina, lungs, oral cavity,.
2. Keratosis.
3. Dysplasia of the cervix.

Currently, the possibility of using cryosurgery for the treatment of oncology of the kidneys, breast, intestines, as well as compatibility with traditional methods of treatment is being studied.

If this method is used in the early stages of the disease, with a low degree of malignancy and small tumor sizes, then the effect of the treatment will give the most favorable results.

Contraindications:

• cryofibrinogenemia;
• Raynaud's disease;
• cryoglobulinemia;
• cold urticaria.

Advantages :

• tissue damage is minimal, so no suturing is required after the procedure, which makes the treatment method less traumatic;
• local effect on the tumor leaves healthy cells unharmed;
• the duration of the procedure itself takes a short period of time;
• compared to traditional methods of treatment, this method has a short recovery period, because. pain symptom, bleeding and other complications are minimized.

Flaws :

The consequences that await the patient after the procedure are not as serious and severe as with other methods of treatment, but still, the patient should be aware of the possible side effects of cryosurgery:

1. The appearance of pain, bleeding, spasms in the area of ​​the removed tumor.
2. Loss of sensation.
3. The appearance of scars, pigmentation on the skin, its thickening, swelling,.
4. When treating the liver, damage to the bile duct is possible.
5. In the treatment of the prostate, there may be a violation of the urinary system, impotence.
6. If the tumor has metastasized, then cryosurgery will not be able to affect the recurrence.
7. In the treatment of bone cancer, cracks may appear in them.

Since the method is quite new and its prevalence is not as wide as the traditional treatment of oncology, doctors cannot unambiguously name the possible consequences of the procedure. But the effectiveness of the treatment is beyond doubt - tumors disappear, which makes cryosurgery more and more in demand in our time.

Price :

The cost of the procedure depends on the location, the degree of spread of the tumor. The average price abroad can be about 5 thousand dollars, in Russia - 2 thousand dollars.

Cyber ​​Knife

Translated - "cyber-knife". This method is a wonderful alternative to traditional surgery. The principle of action lies in the radiological effect on the neoplasm. The beam of radiation irradiates the tumor at different angles, which causes the accumulation of radiation in the cancer cell and its destruction. Healthy cells regenerate safely. The course of treatment is from 1 to 5 sessions (the duration of the procedure is up to 90 minutes). At 1, 2 stages of the disease, the effectiveness of recovery occurs in 98% of cases.

Indications :

1. Places inaccessible for surgical intervention.
2. Recurrence of malignancy.
3. Malignant and benign tumors of any localization.
4. Inability for any reason to use conventional cancer treatments.

Contraindications:

There are practically no contraindications, with the exception of especially severe stages of cancer, when the tumor exceeds 5 cm.

Advantages :

• the tumor is treatable regardless of its type and location;
• anesthesia, incisions are not required. The patient is not threatened with bleeding and pain, cosmetic defects. The procedure is absolutely painless;
• there is no rehabilitation period;
• the method is compatible with traditional methods of treatment;
• healthy tissues are not damaged, since the ultra-precise direction of the rays at different angles has a cumulative effect on cancer cells;
• the possibility of treating several pathological foci simultaneously.

Flaws :

Recovery may not occur after the first session. As the tumor shrinks (or shrinks), the result will be noticeable, and this is often more than one procedure.

If the formation has a size of more than 3.5 cm, then the use of this method will be ineffective. In addition, there is neoplasm, but it is much lower than the risk after using traditional cancer treatments.

Price :

The price of treatment by this method in Russia can vary between 150-350 thousand rubles.

New cancer drugs

"Lakeran"

This is an antitumor cytostatic drug, the active substance of which is chlorambucil. The principle of action is the alkylation of cells. The active ingredient disrupts the DNA replication of cancers.

Indications :

The medication is taken in the presence of the following diseases:

• Hodgkin's disease;
• chronic lymphocytic leukemia;
• malignant lymphoma;

Contraindications:

Pregnant and lactating women are contraindicated in taking the medicine. Also, you can not take the medicine, in case of individual intolerance to any component of the drug; with severe kidney or liver disease.

Advantages :

The medicine stops the development of cancer cells, 2-3 weeks after application. The drug has a toxic effect on both non-dividing and dividing malignant cells. Rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract.

Flaws :

May cause irreversible inhibition of the bone marrow, a decrease in the production of leukocytes, a decrease in hemoglobin, disruption of the digestive tract, an allergic reaction in the form of rashes, tremors, convulsions, hallucinations, disruption of the musculoskeletal system, weakness, anxiety.

Contraindications:

Pregnant and lactating women, young people under 18 years of age, patients with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, liver disease, taking the medicine is contraindicated.

Advantages :

The drug prevents the development and growth of malignant formation, and also prevents the appearance and development of metastases. With proper treatment and compliance with all the doctor's recommendations, the patient's condition will be noticeably improved, and life expectancy will be increased.

Flaws :

The medicine may show side effects of varying intensity: allergic rash, nausea, vomiting, itching, diarrhea, swelling of the hands and feet, problems with the kidneys.

Price :

The drug has a high cost - for 40 mg, the patient will have to pay almost 1000 USD.

New in cancer treatment, which includes innovative antitumor drugs, methods of influencing the tumor, are an excellent alternative to traditional treatment. Clinical studies confirm the effectiveness of the above methods and drugs. With a competent approach to treatment and compliance with all the doctor's recommendations, even severe stages are treatable, this gives great hope for recovery.

Experimental Cancer Therapies- these are new and not fully tested types of therapies that are at the stage of scientific, clinical research and experiments that have not been included in the therapeutic standards adopted in WHO oncology. The effectiveness and safety of any experimental technique requires further study, since there is no complete information about the effect of treatment on cancer cells and the body. However, it is assumed that there is a scientific hypothesis that explains what effects are expected and why. Experimental treatments, unlike quackery and healing methods, require sufficient scientific justification and the participation of a doctor. . The use of experimental therapies in patients requires special legalization, in contrast to the use of standard therapy. Experimental therapies can be effective, but their implementation in public health practice depends on the implementation of complex administrative procedures that are now standardized in all countries.

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  Since ancient times, people have had an idea about the existence of cancer and malignant diseases. Cancer is an old problem of mankind. This disease has been known since ancient times. For example, archaeological excavations have shown that signs of malignant tumors were found in Egyptian mummies. In the past, when epidemics of plague, cholera, typhoid raged, from which millions of people died, the problem of cancer was not relevant. People often did not know what they were dying of, as cancer is not a disease that can be easily recognized.

  After the level of development of society began to rise to a new level and life expectancy increased, the problem of cancer became acute. This requires the development of new treatments. Experimental methods of treatment are an important part of medicine, without which development is impossible. The standard types of modern therapy were experimental at one time. Until the middle of the 20th century, experimental methods of treatment were not regulated in any way. Often, experiments were carried out on people without their consent or without full awareness of the treatment. This has necessitated the creation of international regulations that protect the health of people involved in therapy (GCP guidelines). These rules regulate the use of experimental treatments. Currently, the use of experimental methods of treatment can only be carried out on volunteers with their written consent to treatment and full awareness.

  Types of experimental treatment

  • Focused high intensity ultrasound (HIFU) - tumor destruction by high-energy focused ultrasound.
  • Gene therapy - for people who are genetically predisposed to malignant tumors. Gene therapy is the introduction of genes into a tumor that cause cells to die (spontaneously or under the influence of chemotherapy) or prevent them from multiplying.
  • Cryoablation is a process of local freezing and devitalization of tissues, which makes it possible to purposefully create a zone of necrosis of the required shape and size for the destruction of the affected tissue and adjacent healthy cells along the edge.
  • local hyperthermia. A session of heating tumor tissues to a temperature that causes their death. Hyperthermia sessions require special equipment. Not to be confused with hot tub physiotherapy, sometimes referred to as a "Hyperthermia Session".
  • Angiostatic drugs are drugs that interfere with the formation of capillaries in the tumor, after which the tumor cells die, deprived of access to nutrients. Some angiogenesis blockers are already used in oncology, but the study of new pharmacological substances continues.
  • Laser therapy is a method based on the transformation of the light energy of a laser beam into heat: the temperature inside the gland reaches 60 ° C for a few seconds. Against the background of this temperature, cell death rapidly develops.
  • The use of anaerobic bacteria to destroy the central part of the tumor, where drugs do not penetrate well. The periphery of the tumor is well destroyed by chemotherapy.
  • Vaccination against malignant cells.
  • Multicomponent systems in which several drugs are simultaneously prescribed that have synergistic effects (Semicarbazide-Cadmium Therapy). This allows you to get a therapeutic effect with lower doses of drugs than with standard chemotherapy. Multicomponent systems are attempts to combine the principles of classical and holistic medicine.
  • Neutron Capture Therapy. The introduction into the body of special non-radioactive medicines that selectively accumulate in a cancerous tumor. After that, the tumor is irradiated with a stream of weak neutron radiation. Medicines actively react to this radiation and amplify it many times inside the tumor itself. As a result, the cancer cells die. At the same time, the total radiation doses that a person receives are much lower than when using conventional radiotherapy. Promising high-precision and safe therapy. Currently, research is underway related to the creation of nanotechnologies designed to improve the delivery of such drugs to the tumor.

  Advantages and disadvantages of experimental treatment

  Advantages:

  • The possibility of good clinical effects in patients who are not helped by "standard" treatments.
  • The possibility of receiving free therapy if the patient participates in clinical trials.
  • Opportunity to contribute to society in the development of new treatments.

  Flaws:

  • unpredictability of action. Less information about possible side effects compared to conventional therapy.
  • Difficulty in finding an organization that provides effective treatment.
  • The need to pay for therapy if the patient is not participating in clinical trials.

  Experimental Cancer Therapies

  Experimental cancer treatments are new and incompletely tested therapies that are at the stage of scientific, clinical research and experimentation that have not been included in the therapeutic standards adopted in WHO oncology. The effectiveness and safety of any experimental technique requires further study, since there is no complete information about the effect of treatment on cancer cells and the body. However, it is assumed that there is a scientific hypothesis that explains what effects are expected and why. Experimental treatments, unlike quackery and healing methods, require sufficient scientific justification and the participation of a doctor. The use of experimental therapies in patients requires special legalization, in contrast to the use of standard therapy. Experimental therapies can be effective, but their implementation in public health practice depends on the implementation of complex administrative procedures that are now standardized in all countries.

  Since ancient times, people have had an idea about the existence of cancer and malignant diseases. Cancer is an old problem of mankind. This disease has been known since ancient times. For example, archaeological excavations have shown that signs of malignant tumors were found in Egyptian mummies. In the past, when epidemics of plague, cholera, and typhoid raged, from which millions of people died, the problem of cancer was not relevant. People often did not know what they were dying of, as cancer is not a disease that can be easily recognized.

  After the level of development of society began to rise to a new level and life expectancy increased, the problem of cancer became acute. This requires the development of new treatments. Experimental methods of treatment are an important part of medicine, without which development is impossible. The standard types of modern therapy were experimental at one time. Until the middle of the 20th century, experimental methods of treatment were not regulated in any way. Often, experiments were carried out on people without their consent or without full awareness of the treatment. This has necessitated the creation of international regulations that protect the health of people involved in therapy (GCP guidelines). These rules regulate the use of experimental treatments. Currently, the use of experimental methods of treatment can only be carried out on volunteers with their written consent to treatment and full awareness.

  Types of experimental treatment

  High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) - tumor destruction by high energy focused ultrasound.

  Gene therapy - for people who are genetically predisposed to malignant tumors. Gene therapy is the introduction of genes into a tumor that cause cells to die (spontaneously or under the influence of chemotherapy) or prevent them from multiplying.

  Cryoablation is a process of local freezing and devitalization of tissues, which makes it possible to purposefully create a zone of necrosis of the required shape and size for the destruction of the affected tissue and adjacent healthy cells along the edge.

  Local hyperthermia. A session of heating tumor tissues to a temperature that causes their death. Hyperthermia sessions require special equipment. Not to be confused with hot tub physiotherapy, sometimes referred to as a "Hyperthermia Session".

  Angiostatic drugs are drugs that interfere with the formation of capillaries in the tumor, after which the tumor cells die, deprived of access to nutrients. Some angiogenesis blockers are already used in oncology, but the study of new pharmacological substances continues.

  Laser therapy is a method based on the transformation of the light energy of a laser beam into heat: the temperature inside the gland reaches 60 ° C for a few seconds. Against the background of this temperature, cell death rapidly develops.

  The use of anaerobic bacteria to destroy the central part of the tumor, where drugs do not penetrate well. The periphery of the tumor is well destroyed by chemotherapy.

  Vaccination against malignant cells.

  Multicomponent systems in which several drugs are simultaneously prescribed that have synergistic effects (Semicarbazide-Cadmium Therapy). This allows you to get a therapeutic effect with lower doses of drugs than with standard chemotherapy. Multicomponent systems are attempts to combine the principles of classical and holistic medicine.

  Nanotherapy is the introduction of nanorobots into the human body, which either deliver the medicine to the desired point, or attack the malignant tumor and its metastases themselves (can be combined), and can also be used to monitor the state of the human body for a long time. A promising technology for the future, currently under development.

  Neutron Capture Therapy. The introduction into the body of special non-radioactive medicines that selectively accumulate in a cancerous tumor. After that, the tumor is irradiated with a stream of weak neutron radiation. Medicines actively react to this radiation and amplify it many times inside the tumor itself. As a result, the cancer cells die. At the same time, the total doses of training that a person receives are much lower than when using conventional radiotherapy. Promising high-precision and safe therapy. Currently, research is underway related to the creation of nanotechnologies designed to improve the delivery of such drugs to the tumor.

  Advantages and disadvantages of experimental treatment

  The possibility of good clinical effects in patients who are not helped by "standard" treatments.

  The possibility of receiving free therapy if the patient participates in clinical trials.

  Opportunity to contribute to society in the development of new treatments.

  Disadvantages: Unpredictability of action. Less information about possible side effects compared to conventional therapy.

  Difficulty in finding an organization that provides effective treatment.

  The need to pay for therapy if the patient is not participating in clinical trials.

  How to find clinical drug trials?

  Getting into the group of clinical trials of the drug can be one of the ways out of the situation when the medicine you need cannot be obtained for a number of reasons - high cost, lack of availability in pharmacies or in general in the country.

  It is not certain that you will get there - your diagnosis, medical condition, course of treatment that you received before using the new drug, as well as a number of additional selection criteria complicate the task, but it is worth a try.

  If you need to find information about clinical trials for cancer drugs on your own, please visit: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov – contains data on all clinical trials.

  You can search for any country where clinical trials have been conducted, and for drugs for all forms of cancer. We will use the search for clinical trials for drugs for melanoma as an example.

  Before launching a drug into production, it is necessary to conduct its clinical trials (CT). The drug trial process includes several stages, patients who voluntarily wish to participate are involved in it. Volunteers are divided into groups on which both the drug itself and a “dummy” without the active substance, the so-called placebo, are tested. This is done in order to clearly track the effect of the drug on the patient's condition. Some CTs use only the drug.

  When participating in a clinical trial, you only need to pay for examinations.

  May 20

  A malignant tumor (cancer) is an uncontrolled growth of changed tissue cells. During growth, a malignant tumor disrupts the normal functioning of the body. This term unites a group of more than 100 diseases.
  All cancers are very different from each other. To fight cancer, science-based medicine offers three main types of treatment: chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery.
  Many patients who have lost hope of being cured through conventional therapies agree to try out experimental clinical medicine for themselves.
  Experimental oncology therapies are cancer treatment methods that have not yet been fully tested and are not included in WHO protocols, are at the stage of clinical trials and require further study.

  Experimental treatments for cancer include:
  Gene therapy - designed for people who, according to the results of personal research, can suggest a genetic predisposition to the development of malignant tumors. This method is based on the fact that the patient is introduced into the tumor genes that cause cells to die, or at least prevent their reproduction.
  Cryoablation - this method is designed to freeze the affected tissue and bring it into a state of necrosis. True, adjacent healthy cells will also suffer.
  High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is designed to destroy the affected cells.
  Angiostatic drugs - their action is aimed at preventing the formation of capillaries in the tumor. In order to exist and grow, tumors need blood flow. After the capillaries are destroyed, the tumor must die.
  Laser therapy - during such treatment, the energy of a light laser beam is transformed into heat. A method designed to kill cancer cells at high temperatures.
  Also, some cancer treatment centers use anaerobic bacteria that destroy the very center of the tumor, sometimes remaining partially inaccessible to other drugs, while the peripheral part of the tumor dies under the influence of chemotherapy.
  Nanotherapy is one of the most daring and fantastic experimental methods of cancer treatment. Nano-shells with tiny gold particles introduced into the body of a cancer patient can themselves detect a malignant focus in the body and completely destroy it.
  One of the experimental treatments is immunotherapy. Its purpose is to stimulate the immune system to fight cancer cells. Antitumor vaccination is a way to create active specific antitumor immunity in the body using a vaccine containing immunogenic antigens.
  Targeted therapy or "target therapy" is the latest cancer treatment technology based on the principles of targeting the fundamental molecular mechanisms underlying a particular disease. It causes only the death of tumor cells, with almost no adverse effects on healthy tissues of the body, and, therefore, without causing such side effects.
  Recently, in developed countries, the method of chemoembolization is increasingly used, which combines embolization of a tumor (i.e., the cessation of blood flow in it, which in itself has a therapeutic effect), as well as the delivery of a chemotherapy drug into its tissues, which is concentrated in the tumor. and has a focused local effect.
  Experimental methods of cancer treatment are resorted to only when all traditional clinical methods have already been tried and failed. Basically, people with a profusely metastasizing tumor, as well as those to whom not radical, but palliative treatment is already being applied, decide on experimental methods.
  According to some oncologists, the actual effectiveness of experimental treatment of malignant tumors varies from 11 to 27% (average efficiency is 22%).
  A new trend in medicine is a personalized approach, in which treatment is selected depending on the molecular genetic characteristics of a particular patient. Since personalized medicine is just beginning to emerge, none of the doctors can guarantee the patient that expensive chemotherapy will not kill him instead of treatment, or that a targeted drug will not cause the appearance of new types of tumors, etc.
  Each country has its own specifics of treatment. Cancer treatment in the United States is expensive, but the latest developments by top oncologists are achieving consistently high remission rates in children diagnosed with cancer. Cancer treatment in Germany is distinguished by the use of classical methods that are completely safe and effective. Despite the use of the latest generation of equipment, the use of experimental treatments is discouraged. In Israel, the use of experimental technologies and drugs is much wider, which makes it possible to achieve consistently high results in treatment.
  One of the largest and oldest medical centers in the world specializing in oncology is the Memorial Cancer Center. Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York (USA). The institution performs tumor embolization operations, chemical and thermal ablation procedures, etc., and uses the latest chemotherapy methods.
  The German Center for Cancer Research (DKZF) at the University of Heidelberg is one of the most respected cancer centers not only in Germany, but also in the world. The Center for Ion Beam Therapy at the University of Heidelberg is actively using one of the most promising discoveries in the treatment of malignant tumors - heavy ion irradiation.
  One of the most famous private medical centers in Israel is the Top Ichilov Clinic. The clinic is located on the territory of a large Israeli state hospital "Ichilov" in Tel Aviv. All currently known methods of treating oncological diseases are used here, including immunotherapy, burning therapy (exposure to a tumor with high-frequency ultrasound), gene therapy, and impact on tumor cell membranes. In percentage terms, the cost of services of Israeli specialists is approximately 40% lower than the cost of services in Europe and 60% lower than the cost of medical services in the USA.
  Indian clinics offer a high level of cancer treatment, the same as the leading countries of Western Europe, Israel and the USA, but at prices several times lower. Among the best cancer clinics in India are the Dharamshila Hospital in New Delhi and the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, which operates the world-renowned Center for Treatment, Research and Education in Oncology (ACTREC). Tata Memorial Hospital is a leader in clinical research. In addition, this hospital is seeking opportunities to treat almost 70% of its patients free of charge.
  Many pilot programs are being conducted in China, which is the developer of a number of experimental drugs. There are developments in Japan and South Korea.
  In Russia, the largest state clinical institutions of oncology are the Moscow Research Institute of Oncology named after V.I. P.A. Herzen, Russian Cancer Research Center. N.N. Blokhin RAMS, Research Institute of Oncology. N.N. Petrov of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Federal Scientific and Clinical Center for Pediatric Hematology, Oncology and Immunology named after Dmitry Rogachev. Among the large private clinics are the Scientific and Practical Center for Modern Surgery and Oncology (European Clinic), the European Medical Center (as part of a network of clinics that operate throughout Europe), the Swiss University Clinic SwissClinic.
  Many federal and regional clinics in Russia conduct multicenter randomized (with a random selection of candidates) controlled trials for the study of new anticancer agents, some of which, after going through all phases of research and registration, receive the status of an anticancer drug based on a large evidence base (the so-called "evidence-based medicine" ). But until these studies are completed and the drug is registered, it is forbidden to publish any data related to a specific treatment protocol. The patient himself must sign an informed consent to participate in the experimental treatment.
  According to experts, there are few experimental programs in Russia, and there are no significant domestic developments. In the country, scientists work with about 150 drug molecules, and 2.5 thousand of them are being developed in the world.
  In cases where the possibilities of domestic medicine have been exhausted and there is an opportunity to continue treatment abroad, Russian oncologists themselves offer to do this. And here the help of charitable foundations is very much needed if it is not possible to quickly receive state funds.
  There is a decision-making mechanism within charitable foundations. For example, Podari Zhizn, a foundation for helping children with oncohematological and other serious illnesses, is supported by medical experts — the country's leading pediatric oncologists and hematologists. It is they who make all the decisions about whether the fund will provide assistance or not. The fund provides assistance only if experts confirm that the treatment that the child needs for a full recovery cannot be carried out in Russia, but it can be done in a foreign clinic. If this is not the case, the fund has to be denied to the parents. Also, the fund is not entitled to raise funds if the child can be helped in a Russian clinic, but the parents want to treat him only abroad. In this case, parents have to look for money themselves. If the fund collects more funds than a particular child needs, then it transfers them to the treatment of other children.
  The level and qualifications of Russian specialists are in no way inferior to specialists from the best Western oncological centers. Many of the drugs under development, including targeted drugs and cancer vaccines, are being tested jointly by European, American and Russian centers with patients from Europe, North America and the Russian Federation.

  The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources