About Targeted Treatment
A targeted treatment is a type of medicine that is aimed at certain traits in a
tumor cell that try to make it stop growing or die. These medicines might block
a signal that tells the cells to grow and divide without control. This may help
to keep the tumor from growing and spreading to other parts of the body.1
There are targeted treatments for some biomarkers. By testing tumors, your doctor
may know if a targeted therapy is right for your tumor type.1
Determining if a Treatment Works
In some cancers, biomarkers may be used to see if the treatment is working. If there
is a biomarker in the tumor, then doctors can test how much of it is present to
see if the treatment is taking effect.2
If a biomarker level goes down, then it may be a sign that the drug is working.
If the biomarker level goes up, then that might be a sign that the drug is not working
on that cancer. In that case, the doctor may need to change or adjust the treatment
or the dose.3
Doctors can also test tumors after treatment, even years later. This helps to find
out if the cancer has returned (or recurred).2