Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy: Precision Medicine Explained

Over the past decade, cancer treatment has evolved rapidly beyond standard surgery and chemotherapy. Precision oncology utilizes molecular profiling to select targeted therapies and immunotherapies tailored to specific cellular markers. Targeted therapies interfere with specific protein molecules that control how cancer cells grow, divide, and spread. Because these drugs focus specifically on mutated cellular pathways, normal healthy cells suffer far less unintended damage. Cancer cells often hide from the body's immune defenses by expressing checkpoint signals. Immunotherapy drugs (immune checkpoint inhibitors) unmask these cells, enabling the patient's own T-lymphocytes to recognize and destroy cancer cells. Eligibility for targeted or immune treatments is determined through specialized genetic testing or IHC staining on biopsy tissue. Consult Dr. Narendra Rathore to discuss whether molecular testing is applicable for your specific diagnosis.