BIOLOGICALS AND BIOLOGICAL RESPONSE MODIFIERS - 4TH MODALITY OF CANCER-TREATMENT

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  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 68  (1) , 221-232
Abstract
Considerable progress has been made in the last 5 yr toward the development of specific biological approaches to the treatment of cancer. The techniques of genetic engineering, mass cell culture and improved techniques in protein and nucleic acid sequencing and synthesis have made available biologicals as specific, highly purified molecules that can be used in cancer therapy. While extensive clinical trials are needed to demonstrate that biologicals and biological response modifiers can provide a survival advantage for patients with cancer, the preliminary data indicate that these approaches can be useful in inducing responses in patients with clinically apparent disease. Further studies with these approaches a conjuction with surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy should be helpful in definitively establishing biologicals and biological response modifiers as the 4th modality of cancer treatment.