Cancer, once a frightening disease, is gradually being conquered by human beings under the impetus of scientific and technological progress. Innovative technologies have opened up new possibilities for cancer treatment, not only to enhance the therapeutic effect, but also to improve the quality of life of patients. By keeping abreast of the latest technological developments, patients can enhance their self-management ability, thus gaining a better position in the fight against cancer.
First of all, the popularity of telemedicine and mobile health applications has greatly facilitated patients. These technologies enable patients to monitor their health in real time, record key physiological indicators such as heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar and so on, and maintain instant communication with doctors through applications. This model not only improves the convenience of medical services, but also enables doctors to grasp the changes of patients’condition more quickly, and then make more accurate diagnosis and adjust the treatment plan.
For example, some cancer patients need regular monitoring of tumor markers in their blood. Through the telemedicine system, patients can collect blood samples from hospitals near their homes for testing, and inform doctors of the test results through the network, and doctors can also feedback the follow-up treatment of patients through the network. This method reduces the number of times patients travel to and from the hospital, shortens the waiting time for results, and improves the efficiency of treatment. However, the network can not directly face patients, can not directly understand the most direct situation of patients, which is also a disadvantage.
Secondly, the rapid development of genomics has brought breakthroughs in cancer treatment. By analyzing the genome of tumor cells, doctors can more accurately identify the types and characteristics of cancer and formulate personalized treatment plans. This treatment method based on the genetic characteristics of patients, namely precision medicine or personalized treatment, significantly improves the effectiveness of treatment and reduces unnecessary side effects.
For example, some breast cancer patients find that their tumors carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations through genetic testing, and doctors can recommend targeted drugs such as PARP inhibitors, which have powerful killing effects on tumor cells with specific gene mutations. Through this personalized treatment strategy, the survival rate and quality of life of patients have been significantly improved. For patients with lung cancer, if there are EGFR mutations, most patients can be treated with EGFR-TKI, and the efficacy and safety are more positive.
In addition, attending popular science lectures and seminars is also an important way for patients to understand how to use new technologies to improve their quality of life. These activities are usually organized by medical institutions, scientific research institutions or patient support organizations to popularize the latest cancer treatment technology and research results to the public. Through these activities, patients can not only get the latest medical information, but also exchange experiences with other patients and discuss how to deal with the disease more effectively.
For example, some workshops may introduce the latest immunotherapy technologies, such as CAR-T cell therapy. The therapy has achieved breakthrough results in some types of blood cancer by engineering the patient’s immune cells to recognize and attack cancer cells. After understanding these new technologies, patients can discuss with their doctors whether they are suitable for their own treatment options in order to achieve better treatment results. But often the latest treatment technology still exists in pre-clinical research, if patients find that they may be suitable for a certain research, they can judge whether they can participate in some clinical research through communication with doctors, so as to get real benefits.
In terms of drug research and development, with the progress of biotechnology, more and more targeted drugs and immunotherapy drugs have been developed. These drugs can attack specific molecular targets of tumor cells without affecting normal cells, thus improving the accuracy and safety of treatment. For patients with non-small cell lung cancer, it has been found that the expression of PD-L1 is closely related to the effect of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. In the future, more biomarkers may be explored and discovered, and more different immunotherapy-related drugs may be used to further improve the therapeutic effect and prognosis.
In short, technological innovation has brought infinite possibilities for cancer treatment. Through telemedicine, genomics, personalized treatment, scientific and technological lectures and seminars, as well as advanced medical equipment and drugs, patients can better manage their condition, improve the treatment effect and improve the quality of life. In the future, with the continuous progress of science and technology, we have reason to believe that cancer will no longer be an invincible disease, and scientific and technological innovation will continue to play a key role in this process.
