The body's immune system, composed of special cells, proteins, and organs, helps destroy harmful cells, including cancer cells, at their earliest stages, preventing the spread of viruses and cancerous tumors. Researchers discovered about ten years ago that cancer slows or stops immune cells, making it harder for the body to fight against the disease aggressively.
A novel approach to treating cancer called immunotherapy changes or boosts the immune system's capacity to identify and attack cancer-causing cells. There are several types of immunotherapies, including checkpoint inhibitors medications that fight cancer's ability to slow the immune system and make it more resilient to the illness. Immunotherapy has proved successful in treating 15 types of cancer, including lung, kidney, bladder, skin, and neck cancers. It can be used alone or in combination with other traditional cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, to rev up the immune system. For example, former president Jimmy Carter, whose brain and liver were found to have metastatic melanoma in 2015, was able to overcome his melanoma after undergoing combination therapy that included the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab. Cancer patients can receive immunotherapy for a long time while retaining a high quality of life since it is typically well-tolerated, in contrast to chemotherapy and radiation, which can have immediate, long-term, and severe side effects.
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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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