Natasha Tiffany, MD treats cancer patients at Oregon Oncology Specialists in Salem. To provide better care, Natasha Tiffany, MD keeps up with developments in the field, such as in immunology, a process by which doctors use cells from the patient's body to fight the disease.
One up-and-coming type of immunological measure is Car T-cell therapy. Also known as chimeric antigen receptor therapy, this technique was first tried in the 2010s on children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a cancer found most frequently in that age group. In most cases, chemotherapy will cure patients with ALL, but unfortunately, some relapse. In a clinical trial, Car T-cell therapy led to a 60 percent chance the relapsing children would be cancer-free for five years. The process begins by removing T-cells from the patient. (T-cells are a category of white blood cells.) Scientists then add a gene containing a molecule that attacks a particular kind of cancer. After multiplying the cells to millions of copies - which takes several weeks - the newly armed cells are injected into the bloodstream. In addition to ALL, the technique has shown good results with other types of leukemia, lymphomas, and multiple myeloma. Car-T cell therapy has risks. Their presence may trigger chemicals that overstimulate the immune system and produce side effects such as rapid heartbeat, high fever, nausea and vomiting, and strong fatigue. Nervous system problems such as seizures and loss of balance are possible, as are allergic reactions and reductions in various types of blood cells. For this reason, close monitoring of patients is required for several weeks after the Car-T cells are reintroduced.
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AuthorNatasha Tiffany, MD, is a physician, educator, and research scientist currently working in Oregon. A Partner and Physician in a private practice located in the state’s capital city of Salem, Dr. Tiffany teaches at her alma mater, Oregon Health & Science University, where she is an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Hematology and Medical Oncology Division. Archives
October 2019
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