Oncology
I. Traditional Basic Treatment Approaches for Cancer
Traditional surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy are the three cornerstones of cancer treatment. With a broad range of applications and well-established techniques, they remain the primary treatment regimens for most cancers and are often used in combination to enhance therapeutic efficacy.
(1) Surgical Treatment
Surgical resection directly removes the tumor lesion and is the preferred curative approach for early-stage solid tumors. It is suitable for most early- and mid-stage cancers, such as lung cancer, gastric cancer, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer. With the advancement of minimally invasive techniques, procedures such as laparoscopy, thoracoscopy, and robotic surgery are now widely used. These methods cause less trauma, allow for faster recovery, and significantly reduce the risk of surgical complications.
(2) Radiation Therapy
This treatment uses high-energy radiation to precisely destroy local tumor cells and is considered a curative local therapy. While traditional radiation therapy had the drawback of causing collateral damage to healthy tissue, we have now fully entered the era of precision radiation therapy. Through techniques such as three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), and stereotactic radiation therapy, “precise targeting” is achieved, maximizing the protection of healthy tissue surrounding the tumor and significantly reducing side effects. It can be used alone for the curative treatment of small, early-stage tumors, or in combination with surgery and chemotherapy to shrink tumors and eliminate microscopic residual lesions.
(3) Chemotherapy
By administering chemotherapy drugs orally or via intravenous infusion, these drugs circulate through the bloodstream to target proliferating tumor cells throughout the body, making it a systemic treatment. It is suitable for mid- to late-stage tumors, adjuvant therapy after surgery, and palliative care for advanced-stage patients, and can effectively inhibit tumor spread and metastasis. Through technological advancements, the side effects of new chemotherapy drugs have been significantly reduced, and supportive treatment regimens—such as antiemetics and bone marrow protection—have matured, completely transforming the stereotype that traditional chemotherapy is “extremely side-effect-prone.” Furthermore, most targeted and immunotherapies require combination with chemotherapy to achieve optimal efficacy.
II. Innovative Specialized Cancer Treatment Methods (Mainstream Cutting-Edge Technologies)
With the advancement of precision medicine, cancer treatment has evolved from the traditional “one-size-fits-all” approach to a new, individualized model characterized by “precision targeting, immune activation, and minimally invasive ablation.” The following are specialized core treatment methods that are currently widely used in clinical practice and demonstrate outstanding efficacy.
(1) Targeted Therapy: Precisely Targeting Tumor Lesions
Core Principle: Through genetic testing, tumor-specific gene mutation targets are identified, and corresponding targeted drugs are used to precisely act on tumor cells without damaging normal cells, thereby achieving “precise elimination of the enemy.” Compared to chemotherapy, it offers the advantages of high efficacy, minimal side effects, and good tolerability.
Applicable Conditions: Most solid tumors, including lung cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer, gastrointestinal tumors, and thyroid cancer; drug selection must be based on the patient’s genetic testing results.
Key Advantages: No hospitalization required; primarily administered orally; high quality of life for patients; enables long-term survival with the tumor; and significantly extends survival for patients with advanced-stage cancer.
(2) Immunotherapy: Activating the Body’s Own Immune System to Fight Cancer
Core Principle: Tumor cells disguise themselves and suppress the body’s immune system to evade destruction. Immunotherapy uses drugs to release the immune “brakes” imposed by tumors, activating the patient’s own immune system so that immune cells can independently identify and eliminate tumor cells throughout the body. It is currently a core, cutting-edge therapy for combating cancer.
Mainstream Types: PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors are the most widely used and technologically mature; other approaches include cellular immunotherapy and novel technologies such as cancer vaccines.
Indications: Covers dozens of tumor types, including lung cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer, melanoma, and lymphoma. It is particularly suitable for patients with advanced, recurrent, or metastatic disease, as well as those who have developed resistance to targeted therapies; some patients with MSI-H tumors may achieve clinical cure.
Key Advantages: Once effective, the treatment provides lasting benefits, enabling long-term survival with the tumor present or even complete regression of lesions, thereby overcoming the limitation that advanced cancers previously had no effective curative treatments.
(3) ADC Therapy (Antibody-Drug Conjugates): The “Precision Magic Bullet” for Cancer
As a new generation of precision anticancer drugs, ADCs are hailed as the “precision magic bullet” for cancer treatment and represent a breakthrough technology in current cancer therapy. The drug consists of three components—“targeted antibody + linker + chemotherapeutic toxin”—combining the precision of targeted therapy with the potent cytotoxicity of chemotherapy.
Core Principle: The targeted antibody precisely locks onto tumor cells; upon entering the cell, it releases a highly active toxin that selectively kills tumor cells without affecting surrounding healthy tissue, thereby addressing the pain points of traditional targeted drugs (easily developing resistance) and non-targeted chemotherapy drugs (lack of specificity).
Indications: HER2-positive breast cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer, cervical cancer, and Claudin18.2-positive gastrointestinal tumors, among others. It is primarily used for patients with mid- to late-stage disease who are resistant to targeted therapy or chemotherapy and is gradually being incorporated into first-line treatment regimens.
(4) Local Minimally Invasive Ablation Therapy: Minimally Invasive Radical Treatment of Small Lesions
This is a localized, precise, minimally invasive treatment technique that does not require open surgery. Under image guidance, an ablation probe is precisely placed within the tumor lesion, and tumor cells are destroyed using physical methods such as high or low temperatures.
Main types: microwave ablation, radiofrequency ablation, cryoablation, etc.
Indications: Early-stage, small-volume solid tumors (lung cancer, liver cancer, thyroid nodules, small breast nodules, etc.), elderly patients unable to tolerate surgery, and microscopic lesions that have recurred post-surgery.
Key Advantages: Extremely minimally invasive, rapid recovery, short hospital stays, and few complications; therapeutic efficacy comparable to surgical resection, making it an ideal option for patients who cannot tolerate traditional surgery.
(5) Radioligand Therapy: Precision Targeted Radiation Therapy for Advanced Cancers
This novel precision radionuclide therapy represents a breakthrough treatment for advanced, refractory tumors and is currently being implemented at several top-tier hospitals in China.
Core Principle: By combining a specific targeted drug with a radionuclide, the drug precisely binds to targets on the surface of tumor cells, carrying the radionuclide to precisely localize at tumor sites throughout the body. Through continuous localized radiation, it destroys both primary and metastatic lesions, achieving “precision whole-body radiation therapy.”
Indications: Primarily used for refractory advanced tumors such as advanced prostate cancer and neuroendocrine tumors, this treatment offers a new therapeutic option for patients with advanced disease who have multiple metastases and are not candidates for surgery.
