Treatment5 min read

Targeted therapy

Targeted therapies attack specific molecules that help cancer grow — like a precision strike instead of a wide shot.

Unlike chemotherapy, which hits all fast-growing cells, targeted therapy focuses on features unique to cancer cells. The best-known targets are HER2 and, more recently, markers used by immunotherapy.

Examples of targeted approaches

  • Anti-HER2 drugs for HER2-positive cancers
  • CDK4/6 inhibitors for advanced hormone-positive disease
  • PARP inhibitors for BRCA-related cancers
  • Immunotherapy to help the immune system attack the cancer

Because these drugs are selective, their side effects are often different and lighter than chemotherapy. Targeted therapy is one reason advanced breast cancer has become a long-term condition.

In brief

Targets cancer-specific molecules
Anti-HER2 drugs are the classic example
Often better tolerated than chemotherapy

What you can do

Ask for biomarker testing

Results reveal which targeted drugs may help.

Explore trials on new targets

Research expands the list every year.

Keep learning

Lab tests on the tissue sampleAwarenessTriple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)AwarenessStandard treatment vs clinical trialsAwareness