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Tue 06 Jun 2004More results, less toxinsThe drugsA keener understanding of the biology of cancer cells is leading to the development of less crude forms of treatment which target specific mechanisms within cancer cells rather than killing the cells outright.Conventional chemotherapy drugs and radiation therapy hit the cell nucleus or engine of the cell so that it can't survive but new drug treatments are now attacking the blood supply of the cells or slowing down their growth, therefore disabling them in a less aggressive manner. For example, a biopsy of a breast cancer tumour can now reveal if there is a deficiency in the mechanism that controls the growth of the cancer. And, in cancers where there is an oversupply of what are known as growth factor receptors, specific drugs can now target this activity only, thus disabling the entire functioning of the cancer cells.