Cancer doctors and researchers “don’t use words like ‘cure’ lightly or easily.” But with two patients remaining cancer-free for more than a decade, the therapy has performed “beyond our wildest expectations.”
In 2010, two blood cancer patients received an experimental immunotherapy, and their cancers went into remission. Ten years later, theCalifornia resident Doug Olsen was one of the patients. “From a patient’s viewpoint, when you’re told you’re pretty much out of options, the important thing is always to maintain hope. And certainly, I hoped this was going to work,” Olsen said at a February 1 news briefing.
Olsen and the other patient had chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Both responded well to initial treatment. But it was unclear how long the modified cells would stick around, preventing the cancer’s return. Cancer doctors and researchers “don’t use words like ‘cure’ lightly or easily,” said oncologist and study coauthor David Porter of the University of Pennsylvania at the briefing. But with both patients remaining cancer-free for more than a decade, he said, the therapy has performed “beyond our wildest expectations.”
The biggest disappointment is that the immunotherapy doesn’t work for everyone, Porter added. Some people don’t respond to the treatment. Others can develop . But researchers are “starting to learn the mechanism of why and how it works, so that we can start to get at how to make it work for more people,” he said.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Cervical swabs could identify people at high risk of ovarian cancerA DNA analysis of cervical cells taken from routine smear tests could identify people who might benefit from additional screening for ovarian cancer.
Read more »
Spider-Man: No Way Home Writer Reveals Green Goblin Wasn't the Main Villain in First DraftAfter what amounted to a two-decade hiatus, Willem Dafoe zoomed backed onto the superhero scene [...]
Read more »
Bomb shelters, guerrilla war: Building Ukraine's resistanceIf Russia invades, some of Kharkiv’s 1 million plus people say they stand ready to abandon their civilian lives and wage a guerrilla campaign against one of the world’s greatest military powers.
Read more »
U.S. urges Pfizer to apply for COVID shot authorization for kids 5 and underEarly Pfizer data has shown the vaccine is safe and produces an immune response.
Read more »
COVID-19 live updates: Santa Clara Co. approves extra vaccine dose for immunocompromisedTransplant recipients, cancer patients and people with immunodeficiencies can now receive a third dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine in Santa Clara County.
Read more »
SoCal leaders discuss how to tackle aging roads, other infrastructure projects after bridge collapseState and local leaders met to discuss what's being done to improve aging infrastructure in Southern California on the same day a decades-old Pittsburgh bridge collapsed injuring several people.
Read more »