How does chemotherapy work? | Animated Science Explainer · Data Dose
了解化疗的原理、作用及副作用，适合练习医学类词汇和理解复杂机制。
Did you know that in the coming times, it is predicted that one in two people will have some form of cancer.
你知道吗？据预测，在未来不久，每两个人中就有一人会患上某种癌症。
According to the World Health Organization, it has become the leading cause of death worldwide.
根据世界卫生组织的数据，这种疾病已成为全球范围内的主要死亡原因。
How is it treated?
如何进行治疗？
Is there any cure?
有治愈的方法吗？
Can chemotherapy really work?
化疗真的有效吗？
In today's episode of Data Dose Insights, we're going to delve into the science behind chemotherapy,
在今天的《Data Dose Insights》节目中，我们将深入探讨化疗背后的科学原理。
the first line treatment of cancer.
癌症的首选治疗方法。
Let's find out what it does, how it actually works with its effects and side effects.
让我们来了解一下它的作用机制、实际的工作原理，以及它所带来的效果和副作用。
Join us as we explore the mechanisms behind this crucial therapy.
加入我们的行列，一起探索这种关键疗法背后的作用机制吧。
But to understand the cure, it is essential first to understand the problem that is cancer.
但要理解这种治疗方法，首先必须了解癌症这一疾病本身。
Cancer is a disease where some of the body cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body.
癌症是一种疾病，其中某些身体细胞会不受控制地生长，并扩散到身体的其他部位。
But why is that such a bad thing?
但为什么这会是一件坏事呢？
You see, normal cells go through a process called cell division where they grow and multiply to form new cells.
你看，正常细胞会经历一个叫做“细胞分裂”的过程，在这个过程中它们会生长并分裂，从而形成新的细胞。
Like all living beings, cells grow old, get damaged, die, and are replaced by new cells.
与所有生物一样，细胞也会老化、受损、死亡，并被新的细胞所取代。
But trouble arises when abnormal or damaged cells grow and multiply rapidly when they shouldn't.
但问题在于：当那些本应正常休眠或死亡的异常细胞、受损细胞开始异常快速地生长和增殖时，健康就会受到威胁。
This is how lumps of tissues are formed.
组织块就是这样形成的。
These lumps are also known as tumors.
这些肿块也被称为肿瘤。
Normal healthy cells usually grow only when they receive signals to do so.
正常健康的细胞通常只有在接收到相应的生长信号时才会开始生长。
But cancer cells are pretty rebellious.
但是癌细胞非常“叛逆”（即难以被控制）。
They work against the body, ignoring all signals to stop dividing or to die.
这些细胞违背人体的正常生理机制，无视所有要求其停止分裂或死亡的信号。
This allows them to move around and invade other parts of the body, unlike healthy cells.
这使得它们能够移动并侵入身体的其他部位，这与健康细胞的情况截然不同。
They manipulate blood vessels to grow towards the tumors to supply them with oxygen and nutrients and remove waste continuously.
它们会操控血管的生长方向，使血管朝向肿瘤延伸，从而为肿瘤持续供应氧气和营养物质，并清除其产生的废物。
But why do these notorious cells stand out?
但为什么这些臭名昭著的细胞会格外引人注目呢？
They not only manage to hide from our immune system, which would have otherwise eliminated such abnormal cells,
它们不仅成功躲过了我们的免疫系统（否则这些异常细胞早就被免疫系统清除掉了），
but they also manage to trick our immune system into helping them live and prosper.
但它们还能设法欺骗我们的免疫系统，让免疫系统帮助它们生存和繁衍。
Some cancer cells even convince the immune cells to protect the tumor instead of attacking it.
有些癌细胞甚至能够“说服”免疫细胞保护肿瘤，而不是攻击它。
In short, cancer cells are like a whole ecosystem of parasites, living within a biosphere that doesn't have the resources to sustain it.
简而言之，癌细胞就像一个由寄生虫组成的生态系统——它们生活在一个资源匮乏的“生物圈”中（即无法为这些寄生虫提供所需生存条件的环境）。
And that is why it is crucial to kill them before they kill us.
这就是为什么必须在它们杀死我们之前先将其消灭。
This is where our savior, chemotherapy comes into play.
这时，我们的“救星”——化疗就派上用场了。
Simply put, chemotherapy is a treatment that
简单来说，化疗是一种治疗手段。
involves the use of certain drugs known as cytotoxic agents that kill or slow down the growth of these cancer cells.
该治疗方法涉及使用某些被称为“细胞毒性药物”的化学物质，这些药物能够杀死癌细胞或抑制其生长。
But what exactly happens once the drugs enter our bodies?
但是，一旦这些药物进入我们的身体，究竟会发生什么呢？
To understand that, we need to understand the concept of cell division.
要理解这一点，我们需要先了解细胞分裂的概念。
You see, the center of every living cell has a dark blob called the nucleus, which is the cell's control center,
你看，每个活细胞的中心都有一个被称为“细胞核”的黑色结构，它是细胞的控制中心。
it houses chromosomes, which contain DNA and the genes that dictate how the cell will function.
细胞核内含有染色体，而染色体又携带着DNA以及决定细胞功能的基因。
These genes must be duplicated every time a cell splits into two to make a new one.
每当一个细胞分裂成两个新细胞时，这些基因都必须被复制。
What chemotherapy does is it kills the cells that are in the process of splitting by damaging the DNA inside the nucleus of the cell.
化疗的作用在于：通过破坏细胞核内的DNA，杀死那些正处于分裂过程中的细胞。
The cancer cells are thus unable to repair or replicate accurately as a result of this, leading to cell death.
由于这一原因，癌细胞无法正常地进行修复或复制，最终导致细胞死亡。
The most commonly prescribed chemotherapy agents are alkylating agents, plant alkaloids, anti -tumor antibiotics,
最常被用于化疗的药物主要包括烷化剂、植物生物碱以及抗肿瘤抗生素。
anti -metabolites, and topoisomerase inhibitors.
抗代谢药物以及拓扑异构酶抑制剂。