International Journal of Clinical Case Reports, 2025, Vol.15, No.3, 139-147 http://medscipublisher.com/index.php/ijccr 141 Figure 1 Structure of cisplatin-based drugs used for the treatment of CC (Adopted from Bhattacharjee et al., 2022) Topotecan blocks an enzyme that helps cancer cells copy DNA. When used with cisplatin, it helps people live longer than cisplatin alone (Zhang et al., 2024). 2.2.2 Cytotoxic Effects and Limitations Despite their efficacy, chemotherapeutic agents are non-specific and target all rapidly dividing cells, resulting in significant toxicity: (1) Myelosuppression: Suppression of bone marrow function, leading to anemia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia. (2) Nephrotoxicity: Cisplatin-associated renal damage is a major dose-limiting side effect. (3) Peripheral Neuropathy: Long-term use of paclitaxel and cisplatin can lead to irreversible nerve damage. (4) Resistance: Cancer cells can learn to fight off the drugs, so the treatment may stop working (Tiwari et al., 2018). Because of these problems, doctors now often try mixing chemo with targeted drugs. Each drug works in its own way. Together, they may work better, lower side effects, and stop resistance from forming. 3 Synergistic Effects for Combination Therapy 3.1 Synergistic mechanisms Using both targeted drugs and chemo gives a better way to treat cervical cancer. Each one works in its own way, but they help each other. Bevacizumab is a targeted drug. It stops VEGF, a protein that helps tumors grow new blood vessels. Without enough blood, the tumor doesn’t grow as fast. This also makes it easier for other drugs, like chemo and immune drugs, to reach the tumor. Pembrolizumab is another kind of drug. It blocks PD-1, a signal that lets cancer hide from the body’s defense system. When this signal is blocked, the body’s T cells can attack the cancer again.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzNA==