Cancer - Breakthrough?

[Sriram]

Hi everyone,

Here is news (a few days old) of a possible cancer breakthrough. Not sure how long before it will be available for treatment.

http://us.cnn.com/2016/03/04/health/cancer-treatment-research-breakthrough/index.html

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A new breakthrough in cancer research could lead to a novel form of cancer treatment -- one that is highly specialized for each patient.

Researchers discovered that even though cancer cells mutate wildly within a person's body, the cancer cells within each patient also have common mutations -- ones that could be isolated and fought off by certain immune cells.

Think of it this way: A patient's cancer cells all start off with the same tree trunk, but then grow different kinds of branches. The new research shows certain immune cells can "chop the tree at the trunk rather than just pruning the branches," Dr. Sergio Quezada told CNN.

"The body's immune system acts as the police trying to tackle cancer, the criminals. Genetically diverse tumours are like a gang of hoodlums involved in different crimes -- from robbery to smuggling. And the immune system struggles to keep on top of the cancer -- just as it's difficult for police when there's so much going on," he said.

"Our research shows that instead of aimlessly chasing crimes in different neighborhoods, we can give the police the information they need to get to the kingpin at the root of all organized crime -- or the weak spot in a patient's tumor -- to wipe out the problem for good."

But the discovery doesn't mean all cancer patients will be cured soon. The potential for new treatment also has several limitations.

First is "the speed at which you can generate personalized therapy," Quezada said. "Some cancers go really fast."

Second, it would be expensive. Quezada said he doesn't have an estimate on how much either type of treatment would cost, but given the highly customized nature of each, it could be extremely expensive.

Finally, such treatments would likely work better for some types of cancer than others. Quezada said he believes lung cancer and melanoma would be the most likely to respond well to such treatment.

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For information.

Cheers.

Sriram

[L.A.]

I get the impression that there is a lot of work going on in this area and it is just starting to yield results. I think it is quite likely that the next decade will see many spectacular breakthroughs.

[Brownie]

Thanks for that Sririam but there is nothing new about any of it.  It has been known for yonks that the immune system needs to be boosted to beat all types of cancer.  Indeed, immune boosting medication is given to cancer patients already.  Naturally research goes on to find ways to do it more efficiently and if the body can be tuned to do it without drug intervention, all the better.

It's highly probable that many of us have a type of cancer at one time or another, in its infancy, but a cancer nonetheless.  Our immune system will fight it off and we are none the wiser.

Cancers have names.  There are many, many different types.  A lot of them can be cured or stopped in their tracks.  ''Cancer'' is not the killer it once was.  The charities concerned with with cancer receive a lot of money because the big C still causes terror.  Research will continue, quite rightly.  It would be a good thing if medics were not in the pockets of the drug companies who control everything to do with health.

I'd like to see more money and research into some of the neurological diseases that are simply terrible for the sufferer and their family.  MND, Huntingdon's etc.