New frontiers in cancer care
New technologies are transforming cancer care, but geography, cost and capacity continue to shape who benefits in Pakistan By Dr Intikhab Ulfat There was a time when cancer care was largely associated with major surgery, difficult chemotherapy and broad radiation fields affecting both cancerous and healthy tissues. Today, we are moving towards a more precise and personalised approach, recognising that every tumour behaves differently according to its location, biology, genetic characteristics and response to treatment. Modern cancer treatment is therefore increasingly designed around the individual patient, not merely the name of the disease. Among the most important advances has been the progress in radiotherapy. Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays or particles to damage the DNA of cancer cells so that they cannot continue to grow and divide. It may be used alone or along with surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted drugs. The goal is simple but difficult: dest...