Drug Therapy for Angiosarcoma
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Anticancer drugs are the standard way doctors seek to halt the spread of cancer and to destroy it at its source. A cancerous tumor is merely a growth that continuously reproduces unhealthy cells. Cancer is dangerous because cell replication is a natural part of life and our bodies do not recognize cell growth as something to correct. If possible, doctors use anticancer drugs administered directly into the site of the cancer to destroy the tumor and preventing its spread by disabling its ability to replicate its cells. Unfortunately, these drugs are not tissue specific; they cannot merely target the replicating cells in the tumor. Other cells that rapidly replicate such as the hair or the lining of the stomach are also affected by these drugs, so common side effects of drug therapy include hair loss and nausea.
Angiosarcoma is one of the most difficult cancers to treat with chemotherapy, because by the time the tumor is discovered it has a thick layer of tissue around the tumor that most drugs cannot penetrate. If all the cancerous cells at the heart of the tumor are not destroyed, it can recur in the same spot or spread to a new location and start over. New breakthroughs in drugs may provide some relief for angiosarcoma victims in the future, but now most victims must rely on a combination of drugs, radiation, and surgery to survive.
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