The targeted therapy you are worried about

Targeted therapy is a relatively new treatment method now, and it can be said to be one of the most common treatment methods. Many diseases rely on targeted therapy, which can be said to be a great advancement in our medicine. However, everything has two sides, and targeted therapy is no exception. Although everyone is amazed at the emergence of this great medical method, most people will also worry about the side effects of targeted therapy.

1. Does targeted therapy have side effects?

Targeted therapy is a special type of tumor treatment that takes advantage of small differences between normal cells and cancer cells. Sometimes it is used alone or in combination with other treatments. For example, the treatment process of radiotherapy, surgery and chemotherapy can be supplemented by targeted therapy.

Most standard chemotherapy drugs work by killing rapidly growing and dividing cancer cells in the body. Cancer cells divide quickly, which is why these drugs work on them. However, chemotherapy drugs can also affect other rapidly dividing cells in the body, causing serious side effects.

Targeted drugs are more targeted than other treatments, especially chemotherapy. Some drugs may act on only one protein in tumor cells, while others may act on several different proteins. But this does not mean that targeted therapy has no side effects, it only means that the side effects are lower.

Drug resistance is a common side effect of targeted therapy. It mainly occurs 6-12 months after treatment, when cancer cells in the body adapt to targeted drugs and develop severe drug resistance. No matter how many targeted drugs you take at this time, they will not have any effect. The tumor will continue to grow, divide, and proliferate.

Other common adverse reactions include rash, diarrhea, anorexia and fatigue. Among them, rash is more common, which may be attributed to the fact that tumor cells and skin cells have some of the same or similar pathways.

Although the impact of this side effect of targeted therapy is relatively low, it still requires careful care. To address this side effect produced during targeted therapy, synergistic treatment with the third-generation wall-de-walled Ganoderma lucidum spore powder can be used. While reducing the side effects of treatment, it also improves the patient's own immunity.

2. How to deal with side effects

1. Rash : When taking the drug for the first time, the rash will first appear on the back in large patches. After about 10 days, the rash will become severe and cover the entire body. When the drug is resumed after stopping it for several months, the rash will still appear, but the number will be greatly reduced. The amount of rash did not correlate with treatment efficacy. The treatment method is the same as when taking Iressa; if continuous ulcers occur, the drug should be stopped for several days and Bactroban should be applied to prevent infection.

2. Nasal bleeding : Similar to taking Iressa, the treatment method is also the same.

3. Diarrhea : Occasionally occurs, and the abdominal pain and diarrhea are significantly relieved compared to when taking Iressa.

4. Elevated platelet count : Just like taking Iressa, you need to take aspirin.

5. Elevated aspartate aminotransferase : Same as when taking Iressa, Silybin Capsules need to be taken, and the method of taking is the same as when taking Iressa. If the aspartate aminotransferase is below 2 times the upper limit of the normal value and will not rise further, you can ignore it; if you are worried that it will continue to rise, you can take Shuilinjia, which is Silybin Capsules produced in Tianjin; the medicine should be taken with meals, and 2 capsules can be taken in the middle of breakfast and dinner.

6. Paronychia : It is more serious than when taking Iressa, and paronychia may also occur on the fingers; the treatment method is the same as when taking Iressa.

7. Angular cheilitis : Ulcers on both sides of the mouth do not need to be treated; you can also mash VB2 and mix it with water to make a yellow slurry and apply it to the ulcerated areas.

8. Oral ulcers : Most of them are ulcers on the inner wall of the mouth. The solution is to brush your teeth and rinse your mouth immediately after eating three times a day, then put 7 to 10 ml of "compound chlorhexidine gargle solution" in your mouth, let the solution stay in the mouth for 10 minutes, and then spit it out. There is no need to rinse your mouth with water; do this for several days in a row.

9. Short-term increased heart rate : The heart rate increases significantly at noon and you feel slightly uncomfortable. No treatment is needed and it will automatically return to normal in the afternoon. You can also take one coenzyme Q10 soft capsule (100 mg) preventively during breakfast every day.

10. Mildly elevated blood pressure : If blood pressure is slightly elevated, above 150/90; if it does not go down on its own after a few days, take 1 tablet of Lovastatin every morning.

11. Decreased appetite : After taking the medicine for about 20 days, the appetite decreases, the feeling of hunger disappears, burping occurs even on an empty stomach, and the appetite weakens. No special treatment is required, just carefully improve the food, try to stimulate the appetite, or force swallowing.

12. Sticky phlegm and choking cough : In the morning or shortly after drinking water, a very small amount of sticky phlegm may adhere to the throat and is difficult to clear; occasionally the throat may suddenly feel itchy and choking cough may occur; the solution is to take "Compound Licorice Tablets" orally and slowly swallow the medicine juice that gradually dissolves in the mouth.