Innovative Cancer Treatments: How Medical Advancements is Changing Lives
One of the world’s deadliest and biggest killers is cancer. It causes about 10 million deaths each year. Over time, scientists have been working to enhance the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. In recent years, there have been medical advancements that are accelerating the fight against cancer. In this article, we will explore some medical advancements in the battle against cancer. Let’s begin.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses the body’s immune system to fight the cancer. There have been several advancements in this method, one of them is CAR-T. First approved in 2017, CAR-T is a therapy that treats some types of leukemia lymphoma, as well as several myeloma.
Among the centers that participated in the treatment of patients during the clinical trial that resulted in this treatment approval is the Mayo Clinic. This therapy utilizes the immune system’s power to fight cancer. It does this by modifying the immune system and training it to fight the body’s cancer cells. By using this cell therapy, about 80% of individuals with lymphoma usually experience a reduction in the cancer symptoms.
There are still ongoing studies on the lesser side effects of this cell therapy. Among the advancements in immunotherapy is mesothelioma immunotherapy, which offers hope to individuals battling an aggressive type of cancer. Mesothelioma is a kind of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, abdomen, or heart. Since it usually has a long latency period, the symptoms don’t appear till years later, making it quite hard to treat. Mesothelioma immunotherapy involves the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, and cancer vaccines.
Precision medicine
This method changed how cancer is treated by accepting that all tumors are different, so they may respond differently to treatments. Recently, researchers made new advancements in identifying the genetic signatures and biomarkers capable of predicting how tumors respond to various therapies.
A significant landmark involves the use of liquid biopsies to examine patients’ blood samples in a bid to identify the circulating tumor DNA. As a non-invasive technique, it allows doctors to track the cancer movement and know how it responds to treatment to allow them to make informed decisions about the patient.
Additionally, with the fast analysis of the tumor’s genetic composition via emerging genomic sequencing technology, doctors can identify potential therapy targets. The development of therapies that target only cancer cells while healthy tissues are developed results in reduced side effects and improved patient control.
Metabolic therapy
This innovative therapy involves the treatment of cancer by targeting unique metabolic vulnerabilities shown by tumor cells. Recently, there has been a breakthrough in the development of treatments capable of disrupting cancer cells’ crucial metabolic pathways. This advancement lies in the creation of drugs that target specific metabolic enzymes crucial for rapid tumor progression.
The enzymes are inhibited to ensure that the nutrients needed by cancerous cells are not available, delaying the growth of the tumor masses and possibly making them responsive to other treatments. This treatment has shown good results in animal models and is still under evaluation in several clinical trials for various cancers.
Cancer vaccines
Just like vaccines for children’s diseases, individualized cancer vaccines have the ability to treat some cancers and prevent their occurrence. Some cancer vaccines have been consented to treat bladder cancer, prostate cancer, and melanoma. However, researchers are more focused on individualized mRNA cancer vaccines. They are tailor-made for people based on their tumor’s particular genetic features. Individualized mRNA cancer vaccines will be expected within the decade, paving the way for the possibility of vaccinating to prevent cancers just like other viral illnesses.
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology allows drugs to be directly delivered into the tumor cells. Recently, researchers have made progress in creating nanoscale drug delivery systems that overcome barriers posed by the complex biological environment of the body. A landmark involves the use of nanoparticles, which are targeting molecules that attach themselves to cancer cells. This means that chemotherapy is delivered in a controlled fashion.
Encapsulation of nanoparticles also protects the drugs from degrading and makes sure they circulate longer in the body, thus increasing their effectiveness and reducing side effects. Nanotechnology made another breakthrough in cancer treatment via nanosensor detection and the ability to monitor tumors in real-time. These are little instruments either injected into the bloodstream or directly embedded into the tumor, where they constantly track the growth of the tumor and therapy response. This way, doctors can make the necessary adjustments.
Minimally invasive surgeries
Surgery for many individuals is a necessary part of their cancer treatment. Minimally invasive surgery involves the use of specialized instruments and small incisions to remove the cancer tissue. Since the incisions are smaller than found in traditional procedures, they are associated with another’s pain, fewer complications, and faster recovery time. Over the past few years, minimally invasive surgeries have advanced, and some surgeons now use robotic technology to work accurately and safely in small spaces of the body.
Radiation therapies
In some patients and cancer types, radiation therapy is part of the treatment process. You may be familiar with photon beam therapy. It is an accurate treatment that eliminates cancer cells and saves the nearby healthy tissue. Proton therapy now has minimal secondary effects and proton technology was approved years ago, but its benefits in several tumor types have been continuously refined.
One of the breakthroughs in radiation therapies is carbon-ion therapy, which has similar abilities to proton beam therapy. It can accurately aim and eliminate cancer cells and save healthy tissue. This new method is currently used for treating cancer cells that might be unaffected by proton therapy. However, it can only be found in some European and Asian centers. Mayo Clinic has an ongoing building project on ion therapy on its Florida campus in North America.
Endnote
Advancements in cancer treatments are currently enhancing health outcomes and healing cancers. For individuals with a cancer diagnosis, it is crucial that you stay current on the new therapies and innovations available. Be sure to seek out resources and information from comprehensive cancer treatment centers. This can ensure you get the best help to steer the process of treatment.
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