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Friday, May 16, 2014

Scientific American- Fighting Cancer

See Inside Scientific American Volume 310, Issue 5

New Drugs Free the Immune System to Fight Cancer

By releasing the brakes that tumor cells place on the immune system, researchers are developing a new generation of more powerful treatments against malignancy
By Jedd D. Wolchok

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In June 2004 I was asked to examine a 22-year-old woman who had just graduated from college and was engaged to be married. During the months leading up to her graduation, Shirley (not her real name) had been plagued by a nagging cough. Eventually a computed tomographic (CT) scan revealed multiple masses in and around her lungs. A biopsy indicated metastatic melanoma that had spread from a skin cancer Shirley did not know she had. She immediately began chemotherapy treatments timed around a hastily rescheduled wedding.
Unfortunately, two rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatments to her brain over the next two years slowed but could not stop the tumors' spread. Shirley was running out of options. I told her about a new study in which an innovative medicine designed to supercharge a patient's own immune system against cancer was being tested.

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richardlvance April 16, 2014, 5:08 PM
It is called cannabis.
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JanisP April 25, 2014, 8:33 AM
1) Is there a way to manage side effects in patients who can't tolerate steroids?
2) Are these treatments available at Sloan Kettering in Long Island or only in New York?
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Christine Gorman May 7, 2014, 10:35 AM
Hi JanisP,
I was the editor on this article and asked Dr. Wolchok your questions. Here's his reply (set off by >><<) below:
1) Is there a way to manage side effects in patients who can't tolerate steroids?
>>Yes, there are other interventions that can be used. These include other immune suppression medicines or hormone replacement, depending on the specific side effects.<<
2) Are these treatments available at Sloan Kettering in Long Island or only in New York? Ipilimumab is commercially available and can be given by an oncologist.
>>All of the MSKCC sites can administer it. The earlier stage medicines which have not been approved yet can only be given at sites where specific clinical trials are active.<<
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GeoffRussell May 11, 2014, 6:23 AM
The article says 20% of people treated with ipilimumab are alive 3 yrs after treatment compared to other treatments with a median survival time of 7-8 months. Why not use the same metric to compare treatments. A median survival of 7-8 months says 50% are alive after 7-8 months, how many alive after 3 years? It could be 20%. Without more information, we can't know. I get a little suspicious when people switch metrics like this without giving a reason.
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