Cancer treatment: A review of methods, drug combinations, availability, and ethical considerations

Abstract

Cancer remains a major clinical challenge that requires adaptive strategies. This review synthesizes principal therapeutic modalities, with emphasis on drug resistance, how drugs are ordered, and dealing with side effects while keeping the patient in mind. Evidence from pivotal trials and real-world practice demonstrates that resistance affects the treatments selected. Side effects and patient situations are considered to find the right balance between the treatment’s effectiveness and the patient’s quality of life. This review also examines the sequencing of chemotherapy with immune checkpoint blockade, as well as new approaches such as messenger RNA vaccines and proteolysis-targeting chimeras. Cross-cutting issues-including treatment standards, ethical considerations, and economic barriers-are discussed to help shape future cancer care delivery.

Keywords

Cancer treatment / Therapeutic resistance / Treatment sequencing / Immunotherapy / Targeted therapy / Patient-reported outcomes / Global health equity

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