Immunotherapy, carving a new path in metastatic breast cancer therapy.

Previously on my cancer enlightenment campaign series

Session I: Targeted cancer therapy overview

Session II: Brain cancer overview

_{By NCI NIH Public domain via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0}

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Scientists uses immunotherapy to eradicate breast cancer in woman

The world is gradually moving to a direction where what used to be known as impossible, is now becoming possible. it is the dawn of a new era, a beacon of hope for not just individuals living with breast cancer, but the entire world at large. This is the first time it has ever been reported that a late-stage breast cancer was successfully eradicated.

Doctors shocked the world lately, after breaking the news of eradicating an advanced breast cancer in a woman in Florida, USA. Prior to the experimental treatment, Doctors report showed that the cancer had already spread around the patients body. Her situation was so critical to the extent that she could barely move her body, due to the pains its caused her around her arms. Further reports also confirmed that she had already given up fighting cancer, which eventually led them to harnessing the inherent power of her immune system in other to combat her breast cancer.

Her name is Judy Perkins, a 49 years old engineer from Florida. Perkins discovered she had breast cancer, and therefore had to go through the different breast cancer treatment options like Chemotherapy, which wasn't very successful. Having understood the fact that that the cancer on her right breast was advancing, and had the tendency to spread to her liver and other parts of her body, she accepted the radical new CAR T-cell therapy, which ultimately led to the eradication of her breast cancer.

The case of Judy Perkins was that of a recurrent cancer, she had already had a previous cancer which originated in her left breast, this eventually led to the removal of her left breast, of which she stayed another 10years before noticing the cancer had started developing in her right breast. immunotherapy became an option for her, after her cancer had refused responding to chemotherapy and other hormonal therapy.

The treatment option used was "T-cell immunotherapy for late-stage breast cancer" an innovative, groundbreaking therapeutic strategy, which involves the use of the patient's immune system to locate and combat already formed cancer cells in the body.

The Extraction Utrategy Used

Minute sample (lymphoctes) of Judy Perkins tumor was collected for further studies. After proper observations, billions of immune cells (particulary immune cells that reacted to mutant, cancerous cells) were collected from the sample and properly grown. The purpose of this, was to discover which immune cells where good enough to kill her cancer. The selected ones, where later reactivated and infused, together with immune checkpoint inhibitor, which have had prior proven successes in the past.

This new method, initiated by Dr Rosenberg and his team, have been recorded to have seen some level of success, especially in the treatment of melanoma

Personally, I call this method "Nature's path therapy" I have come to an understanding that the solution to most problems can be found in the problem itself. Just like in the case of Perkins, where the the cancer originated in the body, and its remedy was also discovered right in the bodies immune system function.

I hope this treatment strategy is improved on, and used for other types of cancers, as the world comes together in unity to completely eradicate this our common enemy called cancer

This research about judy Perkins was published in nature medicine

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About cancer of the breast

Its now no news that breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women globally. Breast cancer is as a result of uncontrolled (malignant) cell growth in the breast region. There is no definite cause of breast cancer, but there are factors that could possibly cause breast cancer, one of which could be as a result of mutations in the DNA, which could be inherited, or developed in the course of a person's lifetime. Even though we cant categorically say the cause of breast cancer, there are some risk factors which includes: alcohol consumption, age, gender, etc.

Some breast cancer statistics by Cancer Research Institute

• 12% of all cancers diagnosed yearly in the world, are accounted to breast cancer.

• Breast cancer is the 2nd leading cause of deaths related to cancer in women.

• In 2012, 1.6million new individuals where diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide.

• Also in 2012, it was recorded that 520,000 people lost their lives due to breast cancer.

• An approximate of 1 in every 8 women living in the US will have been diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. The statistics for men, is 1 in every 1,000.

• Positive statistics - The breast cancer 5year survival rate has been reported by CRI to have increased from 63% in the 1960's to 89%, and its still improving.

Lets take a closer look at immunotherapy

_{By NCI NIH Public domain via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0}

Firstly, we must note that the treatment strategy called Immunotherapy, is not peculiar to breast cancer alone, there are other types of cancer that uses this therapeutic method, including: lung cancer, kidney cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma, etc. even though immunotherapy has been accepted as type of cancer treatment, it is not as popular as other types of cancer treatment.

Taking a microscopic view at the root cause of cancer, you will find out that all cancers, are as a result of a malfunction in the immune system. Tumors only grow and thrive when the body's immune system is poor or when it malfunctions.

Basically, the function of the immune system is to kill invaders like viruses, rogue, and even cancerous cells, especially in their early stages. The problem starts when the immune system is unable to identify cancer cells. This happens because the cancer cells contains the individuals DNA making its identification and destruction even more difficult. This is why immunotherapy is very important, immunotherapy conditions an individuals immune system to identify and combat cancer cells in the patients body.

Humans must learn to off the tap, rather than mopp the floor

My suggestion to this issue is that, more enlightenment programs should be sponsored, on the importance of an effective immune system. We should off the tap rather than mop the floor, prevention is always better and way cheaper than cure. When we do this, we will have less individuals running to doctors for radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery, and other form of cancer therapy.

Could This Possibly Lead to a Cure for Most Cancers?

This has been the heart desire of many individuals in the world. Finally, a cure for some cancers?

Have you ever thought of a world without cancer? where people dont have to suffer from this worrying disease, or a world where cancer can be treated like malaria or other illnesses that can be easily cured. It is easy to give up in a situation and just settle for its management, when result rates are relatively slow. But this is not the thought of biochemists, doctors and researchers in the area of cancer therapy. Efforts are being put in daily, so as to put an end to cancer related problems globally.

Personally, i think experimental clinical trial of new ways of improving cancer therapy would go a long way. An example of this is the recent "Right to Try" legislation in the United States of America, which makes it legal for individuals to try therapies that haven't been approved yet, but are available in clinics for trial.

I am quite aware of the risks involved in this, but the question in my heart is, "How far can we actually go in the quest to wipe out cancer from the surface of the earth?" nobody knows the answer to this question, until we try. Moreover, this will give lots of hope to people, whose hope has been dashed to the floor by the breaking news "you have 3months to live".

There are also cases where a terminally ill individual who does not meet up to some new experimental therapy, can further send a request to the Food and Drug Agency Expanded Access Program

Conclusion

The cure for cancer is not impossible. Judy Perkins success is just a beacon of hope, reminding every biochemist, researcher, scientist, and every other individual working tirelessly, day in day out, to never relent in their efforts to bring an end to this horrible disease. Immunotherapy has proven itself again, to be one of the most reliable cancer terminal therapy, Furthermore, i always advise preventive measures, rather than corrective measures to be carried out, especially in terminal illnesses like cancer.

Thanks,
Until we meet again.
written by: @akiripromise

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Reference

[1] About breast cancer

[2] Immune recognition of somatic mutations

[3] News about Judy Perkins recovery

[4] News about Judy Perkins recovery on theguardian.com

[5] FDA simplifies its use process

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