Salvage therapy

Salvage therapy, also known as salvage treatment, is a medical approach used when standard treatments have failed to produce the desired outcome in a patient's condition. This type of therapy is typically considered as a last resort when all other treatment options have been exhausted. Salvage therapy aims to provide alternative treatment strategies to improve the patient's health and quality of life.

Overview

Salvage therapy is often employed in cases where a patient's disease or condition has not responded to initial treatment or has relapsed after an initial period of improvement. It is commonly used in the management of various medical conditions, including cancer, infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, and organ transplant rejection.

Indications

Salvage therapy may be considered in the following situations:

• Failure of standard treatment options
• Disease progression despite initial treatment
• Recurrence of disease after a period of remission
• Development of drug resistance

Treatment Approaches

Salvage therapy may involve the use of:

• Alternative medications or drug combinations
• Experimental treatments or clinical trials
• Surgical interventions
• Radiation therapy
• Immunotherapy

Considerations

Before initiating salvage therapy, healthcare providers must carefully assess the potential risks and benefits of the treatment approach. Patients should be informed about the likelihood of success, possible side effects, and alternative options available. Close monitoring and follow-up are essential during salvage therapy to evaluate the response to treatment and manage any adverse effects.

Examples

Salvage therapy is commonly used in the following medical scenarios:

• Salvage chemotherapy for refractory cancers
• Salvage antiretroviral therapy for HIV patients with treatment failure
• Salvage immunosuppressive therapy for organ transplant rejection
• Salvage surgery for recurrent tumors

References

• Cancer treatment
• Antiretroviral therapy
• Immunosuppressive therapy
• Surgery