Carcinogenesis Continuum Chemoprevention Chemoprevention is the use of a drug to prevent cancer by either preventing or treating premalignant lesions. Chemoprevention is described as either primary or secondary. Primary chemoprevention is the prevention of a pre-malignant lesion from progressing to cancer. Secondary chemoprevention is the prevention of cancer recurrence, or to prevent cancer from coming back after it has been treated. Existing chemotherapeutic agents as well as radiation induce apoptosis in rapidly proliferating cells without differentiating between neoplastic and normal cells.
Apoptosis is the normal process by which the body disposes of genetically damaged or unwanted cells.
Cell Pathways research has identified a new pathway for attacking imbalances in apoptosis regulation in precancerous and cancerous cells. Precancerous and cancerous cells exhibit an overexpression of this enzyme. Radiation and many standard chemotherapeutic agents, such as 5-fluorouracil, exert their tumor controlling properties via these other pathways. The apoptotic activity of chemotherapeutic agents and radiation is a secondary effect in that apoptosis is activated in response to extreme cellular insult. Combination chemotherapy - enhancement of traditional chemotherapy with little or none of the additional toxicities normally associated with these agents.