Chemotherapy and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are two common treatments for cancer. However, they work very differently from each other. In this blog post, we will compare these two treatments and help you understand the differences between them so you can make an informed decision.
What is Chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is a treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer cells. These drugs are usually administered intravenously or orally, and they travel throughout the body, killing cells that are rapidly dividing, including both cancer cells and healthy cells. Unfortunately, this means that chemotherapy often results in many unpleasant side effects such as hair loss, nausea, and fatigue.
What are Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs)?
ADCs, on the other hand, are a type of targeted therapy. They are designed to target specific cells, such as cancer cells, while leaving healthy cells untouched. ADCs consist of three parts: an antibody, a linker, and a cytotoxic drug. The antibody is designed to attach to a specific protein on the surface of cancer cells, while the linker functions to connect the antibody and the cytotoxic drug. The cytotoxic drug is designed to kill the cancer cell upon entry. ADCs can also reduce the side effects associated with chemotherapy.
How Do They Compare?
While chemotherapy is effective in killing fast-growing cancer cells, it can also kill healthy cells and cause significant side effects. In contrast, ADCs are better tolerated by patients and have fewer side effects because they target only cancer cells. However, ADCs tend to be more expensive than chemotherapy.
In terms of effectiveness, both chemotherapy and ADCs have had successes in treating cancer. For example, chemotherapy has improved the survival rate for certain types of cancer such as testicular cancer, and ADCs have been effective in treating Hodgkin's lymphoma and breast cancer.
According to a study by Mehta et al. (2020), the overall response rate (ORR) for patients treated with chemotherapy was approximately 25%, while the ORR for patients treated with ADCs was approximately 29%. However, the study also found that patients treated with ADCs tend to have longer progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared to chemotherapy.
Conclusion
Although both chemotherapy and ADCs can be effective treatments for cancer, they work very differently from each other. Chemotherapy can kill both cancerous and healthy cells, while ADCs target only cancerous cells, reducing side effects. ADCs tend to be more effective and have a longer PFS and OS than chemotherapy. However, ADCs are also more expensive than chemotherapy.
In the end, the choice of treatment depends on the patient's individual circumstances and the recommendation of their healthcare team.
References
Mehta, A., Zhang, L., Bouganim, N., et al. (2020). Efficacy of Antibody-Drug Conjugates in Solid Tumors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Clinical Cancer Research, 26(19), 5133-5143. https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-20-0349