Cancer Treatments (Core Level)
Part of Cancer and Cell Division Control — GCSE Biology
This deep dive covers Cancer Treatments (Core Level) within Cancer and Cell Division Control for GCSE Biology. Cancer development, cell cycle control mechanisms, tumor formation, risk factors, prevention methods, and treatment approaches It is section 4 of 18 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 4 of 18
Practice
18 questions
Recall
22 flashcards
Cancer Treatments (Core Level)
Surgery
- Goal: Remove the primary tumor and surrounding tissue
- Most effective for: Localized, early-stage cancers
- Limitations: Cannot remove microscopic spread
Chemotherapy
- Mechanism: Drugs that target rapidly dividing cells
- Advantages: Systemic treatment, reaches metastases
- Side effects: Also affects normal rapidly dividing cells (hair, gut lining, blood cells)
- Examples: Cell cycle inhibitors, DNA synthesis blockers
Radiotherapy
- Mechanism: High-energy radiation damages cancer cell DNA
- Targeting: Focused beams minimize damage to healthy tissue
- Uses: Shrink tumors before surgery, kill remaining cells after surgery
Targeted Therapies
- Approach: Target specific molecular changes in cancer cells
- Examples: Growth factor receptor inhibitors, angiogenesis inhibitors
- Advantages: More specific, fewer side effects than traditional chemotherapy
Immunotherapy
- Strategy: Harness the body's immune system to fight cancer
- Methods: Checkpoint inhibitors, CAR-T cell therapy
- Promise: Long-lasting responses in some cancer types
Quick Check: Explain why chemotherapy causes side effects such as hair loss and nausea.
Chemotherapy drugs target rapidly dividing cells. While this kills cancer cells effectively, some normal body cells also divide rapidly — including hair follicle cells and gut lining cells. These normal cells are also damaged by the chemotherapy drugs, causing hair loss (hair follicles killed) and nausea/vomiting (gut lining damaged). This is an unavoidable side effect of the non-specific nature of chemotherapy.