Primary care doctors
Care for all ages within your family.
Specialized care for women’s health, including pregnancy.
Care for children, from infants to teens.
Providers of regular wellness care and treatment for common conditions or injuries.
Specialists
Comprehensive and advanced heart and vascular care.
Care for digestive conditions.
Care for bone and joint health.
Care for brain and spine disorders.
Locations that provide specialized care and consultations such as doctor’s offices.
Multi-location groups that provide specialized care.
Locations that provide immediate care for trauma and other moderate to major medical needs
Locations that provide fitness and wellness health options.
Locations that have multiple departments for in-patient, full-service, specialty and 24/7 emergency care.
Locations that provide X-rays, MRIs or CT imaging.
Locations that fulfill prescriptions and other drug and medical device needs.
Locations that provide recovery from medical procedures or illnesses.
Location that provide specialized surgical care.
Locations that provide care for non-life-threatening conditions requiring immediate treatment.
Services
Choose the right care for your minor needs.
Explore care options to fight cancer on your terms.
Learn about care options for & heart and vascular conditions.
Get care options for joint and bone conditions.
Find advanced care for your brain and spine.
Chat about your symptoms to find the right care.
Browse all services that Baylor Scott & White provides.
Treatments and screenings
Discover early detection options for cancer.
Learn about the procedure and your screening options.
Explore imaging options and your screening options.
Discover the imaging and radiology services that Baylor Scott & White provides.
Learn about different types of surgical options that Baylor Scott & White provides.
Browse all treatments and screenings that Baylor Scott & White provides.
Education
Browse the conditions that Baylor Scott & White provides care for.
Explore articles about popular health and wellness topics..
Find classes and events near you.
View upcoming webinar topics and register to join.
Patient information
Prepare for your future by documenting your wishes.
Complete any required forms and submit documents for your upcoming procedure.
Request your medical records.
Medical professionals
Tools and information for medical professionals.
Learn more about residency and fellowship programs.
Resources and support for researchers.
Refer your patient to Baylor Scott White Health.
See our career opportunities and open positions.
Billing
Pay your bill securely online, make payment arrangements or review your bills.
Learn about options to help you with medical bill payments.
View your estimated care costs.
Learn about the options for handling surprise medical bills.
Insurance
Find out which insurance plans are accepted.
Learn about health plans available through Baylor Scott & White.
Targeted therapy is a form of cancer treatment that precisely targets cancer cells, destroying them or preventing them from growing and dividing. Targeted therapies can identify and attack abnormal cells based on proteins or DNA changes specific to the cancer cells while minimizing the impact on your healthy cells.
Targeted therapy for cancer is considered precision medicine or precision oncology, as it is a personalized approach tailored to findings in your cancer. It differs from traditional or standard chemotherapy, which kills both healthy cells and cancer cells. However, it is often combined with other treatments, including conventional chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery.
Many targeted therapies exist, and they can treat many kinds of cancer. However, targeted therapies often fall into two main categories: small-molecule drugs, which are tiny enough to enter a cancer cell, and large-molecule drugs, which work by attacking the proteins or enzymes on the cell’s surface.
Your doctor will determine which targeted therapy may be best for you after ordering lab tests and, possibly, a biopsy, which involves taking a sample of your tumor so it can be tested. The results of these tests help your team learn about your cancer and determine a personalized treatment plan for you.
Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels. It plays a key role in tumor growth since tumors require a healthy blood supply to grow larger. Angiogenesis inhibitors are targeted drugs that stop the formation of new blood vessels. They bind to proteins and other substances involved in blood vessel formation, stopping or slowing tumor growth.
Because angiogenesis inhibitors do not kill cancer cells, you may have to take them over a long period or in combination with other treatments.
Antibody receptors, or antibodies, are proteins your immune system makes to attack viruses, other foreign substances or unhealthy cells in your body, also known as antigens. Monoclonal antibodies are drugs made in a laboratory that mimic natural antibodies and help you fight off illness.
Some monoclonal antibodies are a form of targeted therapy, as they are designed to identify and attack a specific target on cancer cells, stopping them from growing and spreading. Other monoclonal antibodies can be seen as a type of immunotherapy, as they stimulate your immune system to fight the cancer.
Hormones are chemical messengers produced by our bodies, but some types of breast, uterine (endometrial), ovarian and prostate cancer also need hormones to grow. Hormone therapies work either by stopping your body from producing certain hormones or by interfering with the effects of the hormones on cancer cells. They can make cancer less likely to return after surgery.
Your doctor might test a sample of tissue to see if your cancer is hormone-sensitive and likely to respond to hormone therapy. Prostate cancers need the male sex hormone androgen in their early stages to grow. Around 80% of breast cancers are hormone sensitive.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved targeted drug therapies to treat more than 30 different forms of cancer. Some drugs have been approved to treat more than one kind of cancer. Since targeted therapy is an individualized approach, your doctor will tailor your treatment to your specific type of cancer.
Common cancers treated with targeted therapy include:
Targeted therapies can distinguish cancer cells from normal cells by detecting specific proteins, too much of a particular protein or changes in a cell’s DNA. The drugs then stop the cancer cells from functioning normally in various ways.
These include blocking the chemical signals that cause them to grow, changing their proteins, carrying toxins to make them die, or stopping them from making blood vessels or responding to hormones that cause them to grow. Targeted therapies can also trigger your immune system to attack the cancer cells.
Your doctor may recommend targeted therapy based on the results of biomarker testing.
Each person’s cancer has unique biomarkers, which are genes, proteins or other substances that provide information about the cancer. Your cancer’s biomarkers can affect how you respond to treatment and whether targeted therapies are appropriate. Biomarker testing can help your doctor determine if your cancer has targets that can be effectively treated with a drug.
Cancer cells can become resistant to targeted therapy and find new ways to grow. Often, doctors combine targeted therapies with other treatments, such as radiation therapy, but some cancers can be treated using only targeted therapy.
If you and your care team decide to move forward with targeted therapy, they will explain what to expect when it comes to treatment results, benefits and risks, and possible side effects.
How often you receive treatment will depend on your cancer type, the targeted therapy you receive and how your body responds to treatment. Targeted therapies are typically given in cycles—you might get treatment daily, weekly or monthly, with rest periods in between to allow your body to recover.
Since targeted therapies are relatively new, your team may recommend safety precautions to protect themselves, your family and your friends from exposure. Your care team will probably wear protective clothing during treatment. You can ask a friend or relative to accompany you to your appointment, but they might be asked to remain in a waiting room.
Your doctor will order tests to determine whether your cancer is likely to respond to targeted therapy and, if so, which drugs to use. Tests may include genomic testing, which looks at the genome (or genetic material) inside your cancer cells.
Your test results can show the changes that make the cancer cells different from normal cells. They can indicate how quickly a tumor is likely to grow and which treatments will be most effective.
Your care team will also help you navigate other needs. For example, targeted therapy drugs that interfere with blood vessel formation can affect blood clotting and wound healing, so you may need to postpone other planned surgeries, including dental procedures, or stop taking certain medications before treatment begins.
Targeted therapies are usually given either by mouth or directly into your vein (intravenously, or IV). During IV treatment, a needle will be used to put a tiny tube called a catheter in your arm. The drugs can be injected through the catheter, which takes just a few minutes, or given as an infusion, which can last up to a few hours.
Some drugs can be taken in pill, capsule or liquid form at home. Your doctor will tell you exactly when and how much to take and how to handle your medicine safely. Tell them immediately if you forget to take a dose or feel too sick to take your medicine.
If you receive treatment at a hospital or outpatient center, ask if you need someone to drive you home afterward.
You might have side effects immediately after an infusion. These are sometimes called infusion reactions and include discomfort, swelling or redness at the needle site and flu-like symptoms. Tell your healthcare team right away about any symptoms.
You will visit your doctor regularly to see how well your treatment is working and they will monitor you for side effects. You will have physical exams and medical tests, such as blood tests, X-rays and other scans. Your doctor might also check your heart and blood pressure during and after treatment.
Like other types of cancer treatment, targeted therapies can cause side effects. These often depend on the type of drug used. They can also vary from one person to another. Some people have severe side effects, while others have mild or even no side effects.
Most side effects will go away soon after treatment ends. They could include:
Some drugs have also been linked to damage to organs, such as the thyroid gland or kidneys, and increased risk of other infections or a second cancer.
Most symptoms will improve as your healthy cells recover. However, targeted therapies are relatively new, so more research is needed into long-term side effects.
