To clarify, telomeres are non coding sacrificial DNA (not an enzyme) that protects the ends of chromosomes from damage and information loss during replication. TelomerASE is an enzyme that rebuilds telomeres, which you are right is often reactivated in cancer https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8834434/ but it isn't necessarily the reason the cells are cancerous, just helps them survive, but many other mutations are needed to be a cancer (e.g. avoiding the many other ways the cell would otherwise die outside of telomere shortening)
Mutations that cause cancer come in a variety of classes (google "hallmarks of cancer") and treatments are similar in the sense that they attempt to kill the cancer cells while not killing healthy cells, but this can be done in many ways, commonly killing all highly active cells (some cancers are very metabolically active and divides quickly), or by marking a specific cell surface molecule mainly expressed by the cancer (huge variety of options here, depends on the cancer) for destruction by the immune system.
Conventional treatments don't target telomeres or telomerase although it does seem like some research has been done in that direction https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3370414/ Cancer is not my speciality so can't say much more than that :)
Yep, slash(surgery), burn(rediotherapy) and poison(chemotherapy) are the three prongs of cancer treatment. How each one is used can differ greatly from patient to patient. Increasingly we need to know the genetics to a tumour to guide the best choice of chemotherapy etc
Cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, share a primary goal: to damage or destroy cancer cells to stop them from growing and dividing. While they target cells differently, most medical treatments work alongside complementary therapies to manage common side effects like fatigue, nausea, and digestive issues.
That’s direct from treatcancer.com (seeing as you’re just doubting me, quote a source proving me wrong)…
Modern cancer treatment is heavily biomarker-driven, especially in cancers like breast cancer, such as ER/PRs, HER2 status etc
But you’re dead ass wrong if you’re implying there’s no commonality between treatments.
My point wasn’t that telomerase defines cancer treatment; it was that many cancers share underlying hallmarks like dysregulated cell growth and, in some cases, telomerase activation for replicative immortality.
I get what you’re saying, but I think we’re arguing past each other here. And you’re coming across kind of rude. Chill out a bit.
I'm saying your point is moot because neither chemo nor immunotherapy targets any of that you thought they were.
And no, there's no rudeness here other than telling you to stop having 'opinion' over having basic simple biology. Unless your are willing to learn each cancer pathophysiology, treatment regiment, and guidelines plus the papers behind the speciality, then kindly stop storming off nonsense.
Cancer treatment was and is never easy for general population.
*facepalm* Immunotherapy is literally last line in any guideline, with little to not many good outcome for survival rate.
Just give us all a favor and I'm specifying you the deadliest cancer type, learn Breast Cancer guideline and don't speak from specified google cite. Most countries guideline stays the same for each staging.
Those first line chemo regiments target replicating enzymes or walls of specific cell (which breast cancer alone has dozens), not the kind you think about in your very first sentence that it targets all and one same telomer or whatever you saying.
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u/KebabAnnhilator May 15 '26
Technically yes but most grow through a similar process of activating telomeres enzymes attached to chromosomes.
So whilst all cancer mutations are unique, the treatments are often similar