Toll free

18002022232

Therapies

What is Targeted Therapy?

Targeted therapy identifies and attacks specific changes in cancer cells, such as mutated genes, overactive proteins, or growth signals, allowing for personalized treatment based on tumor biology. By focusing on molecular drivers of cancer, these therapies can control growth while limiting damage to healthy tissues.

How does Targeted Therapy work?

  1. Blocking growth signals: Drugs inhibit pathways that tell cancer cells to grow and divide. 
  2. Cutting off blood supply: Anti-angiogenic agents prevent tumors from forming new blood vessels, starving tumor cells of nutrients. 
  3. Delivering toxins to cancer: Some medicines carry chemotherapy or radiation directly to cancer cells to spare normal cells (antibody–drug conjugates/radioligands). 
  4. Flagging cancer cells: Targeted agents can “mark” cancer cells so the immune system can find and destroy them more easily.

Benefits

Precision: Acts on cancer-specific targets to reduce collateral damage to healthy tissue compared with traditional chemotherapy.

Fewer or less severe side effects than conventional chemotherapy, with manageable safety profiles in many patients.

Synergy: Can be combined with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiation to enhance effectiveness.

Long-term Management: In some cancers, targeted therapy helps control disease chronically, supporting longer survival and quality of life.

Types of Targeted Therapy

  • Monoclonal antibodies: Lab-made antibodies attach to specific targets on cancer cells to block growth signals or mark cells for immune attack. (Eg: Trastuzumab for HER2-positive breast cancer)
  • Small-molecule inhibitors: Oral drugs enter cells to inhibit signaling proteins that drive growth and survival. (Eg: Imatinib for chronic myeloid leukemia) 
  • PARP inhibitors: Block DNA repair in tumor cells with defective repair pathways, leading to cancer cell death. (Eg: Olaparib for ovarian and breast cancers)

Who can it help?

  • Cancers with actionable biomarkers (e.g., specific mutations, amplifications, or protein overexpression) often benefit from targeted therapy.
  • Eligibility is individualized based on cancer type, stage, overall health, previous treatments, and molecular test results.

Testing and preparation

  • Biomarker testing: Tissue and/or liquid biopsy may be used to identify targets or immune markers guiding therapy choice.
  • Baseline assessments: Blood tests, organ function evaluation, and imaging help determine safety and establish a starting point for response tracking.

Common side effects

  • Watch for blood pressure changes, skin or nail changes, diarrhea, liver enzyme elevations, mouth sores, and specific class-effect symptoms.
  • Clinicians will provide drug-specific guidance and supportive treatments.
SunAct genitourinary cancer case study on GPC3-targeted CAR T therapy for refractory non-seminomatous germ cell tumor
SunAct genitourinary cancer case study on GPC3-targeted CAR T therapy for refractory non-seminomatous germ cell tumor
SunAct colon cancer case study highlighting TCR-based approach in metastatic colon cancer with lung lesions
SunAct colon cancer case study highlighting TCR-based approach in metastatic colon cancer with lung lesions
SunAct breast cancer case study showcasing HER2-positive treatment with CAR T-cell therapy
SunAct breast cancer case study showcasing HER2-positive treatment with CAR T-cell therapy
SunAct head and neck cancer case study using TCR-p53 therapy in inoperable squamous cell carcinoma
SunAct case study featuring gamma delta T-cell therapy for recurrent tongue carcinoma with extensive metastasis
SunAct case study featuring gamma delta T-cell therapy for recurrent tongue carcinoma with extensive metastasis
SunAct head and neck cancer case study on salivary ductal carcinoma managed with advanced therapies
SunAct head and neck cancer case study on salivary ductal carcinoma managed with advanced therapies
SunAct case study on GD2-targeted CAR T therapy for diffuse midline glioma in a 22-year-old male
SunAct case study on GD2-targeted CAR T therapy for diffuse midline glioma in a 22-year-old male
SunAct CNS case study on GBM treatment using multiple gene mutation targeting in a 36-year-old male
SunAct CNS case study on GBM treatment using multiple gene mutation targeting in a 36-year-old male