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G. Gnana Prasuna*, Kuraku Venkata Lava Kumar Reddy, Dola Sivamani, B.T. Uday, V. Gowri Shankar
Saastra College of Pharmaceutical Education & Research, Varigonda, Totapalligudur, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh 524311
A B S T R A C T
The high incidence of cancer may be caused by several factors, such as genetic mutations, environmental factors, insufficient physical activity, diverse lifestyles, unstable behaviors related to diet, smoking, and alcohol consumption. The current treatment methods for different stages of various cancers include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgical procedures for solid tumors, or a combination of the above. Although these different treatment modalities can effectively reduce cancer, patients may also experience side effects. Radiation therapy runs the risk of causing DNA damage in surrounding healthy cells, which could potentially lead to new incidences of cancer. Similarly, although surgical intervention the primary treatment for solid tumors significantly improves patient survival, its success rate depends on the expertise of the surgeon and the availability of screening methods, including hospital imaging equipment. The introduction of chemotherapy was a milestone in cancer treatment. However, prolonged use of chemotherapy drugs, especially those affecting tumor cell metabolic pathways and signal transduction, can influence tumor occurrence, metastasis, drug response, recurrence, drug resistance, and cancer stem cells (CSCs). Traditionally, drug development involves preclinical research and clinical trials. Preclinical studies involve testing the efficacy, toxicity, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of drugs in human tumor cells and animal models. Once the therapeutic efficacy of a drug has been determined, the drug moves into the clinical trial phase, which includes Phase I, II, and III human clinical trials, to determine the safety and effectiveness of the drug. As such, it takes 10–15 years and costs $1–2 billion to produce a new drug approved for clinical use.
Keywords: Cancer, chemotherapy, tumor occurrence, metastasis, clinical trials, DNA damage.
