Angiogenesis is the term used to describe cancer tumor’s ability to form new blood vessels to nourish them with oxygen and nutrients. Therefore, as cancer grows and matastasize, new blood vessels are constantly being formed.
Angiogenesis is controlled by certain chemicals your own body produces. Certain chemicals stimulate the formation of new blood vessels, while others signal the process to stop, called angiogenesis inhibitors.
Using the concept that angiogenesis inhibitors prevent new blood vessels from forming in and around cancerous tumors, cancer treatment using angiogenesis inhibitor drugs and drugs with antiangiogenic activity is an emerging cancer treatment. This treatment is emerging because its use on cancerous tumors is predominantly at the investigative level rather than a standard form of treatment.
Currently, cancerous tumors treated with angiogenesis inhibitors are either being used or in clinical trials on numerous forms of cancer, like:
- leukemia
- melanoma
- lymphoma
- liver cancer
- breast cancer
- kidney cancer
- prostate cancer
- stomach cancer
- colorectal cancer
- multiple myeloma
- pancreatic cancer
- esophageal cancer
- ovarian epithelial cancer
- non-small cell lung cancer
Angiogenesis inhibitors do not directly destroy cancers cells like radiation and chemo cancer treatments, but prevent cancerous tumor growth and expansion.
The upside of angiogenesis inhibitors for cancer treatment is that healthy cells are not affected. The down side is inhibiting angiogenesis may cause other health issues involving wound healing, bleeding, blood clotting, heart function, immune system and reproductive system.
While angiogenesis inhibitor therapy to treat cancerous tumors is still emerging, all the possible complications and drug side effects from this cancer treatment continue to be discovered.