摘要
在传统的肿瘤治疗中，对于结果的长期等待通常是一个影响其潜在成功的关键性障碍。一个医师开出的治疗方案可能需要若干个月后其阳性结果才可能开始全部显露。在一次失败的治疗中，肿瘤将持续发展并且患者可能不得不忍受治疗的副作用并最终得不到治愈。在第二次治疗被准许之前的时间延误可能意味着针对发展中肿瘤的第二波攻击将降低有效性。事实上，肿瘤的治疗中，最初的攻击能够在肿瘤细胞中引发应答机制，这样再次治疗时疗效会降低甚至无效。
The long wait for results in conventional treatments for tumours is often a critical drawback to their potential success. A prescribed treatment may require months before positive results begin to appear, if at all. In the event of a failed treatment, the tumour continues to develop and a patient may have to suffer side effects but no cure. The delay before secondary therapy is allowed to begin may mean that a second line of attack against a developing tumour becomes less effective. Indeed, the original attempt at treatment can trigger response mechanisms in tumour cells which result in less effective, or equally ineffective, secondary therapy.
