Breast cancer treated successfully with immune therapy

Br Dr Ananya Mandal, MD

According to researchers from the US, early breast cancers can be successfully treated with a new form of immune therapy instead of traditional chemotherapy. The details of the treatment and the case is published in the journal Nature Medicine.

Cancer cells. Image Credit: Jovan Vitanovski
Cancer cells. Image Credit: Jovan Vitanovski

In a landmark first case, Judy Perkins was diagnosed with breast cancer and given only three months to live. She was then treated with a pioneering therapy that involved injecting 90 billion immune cells that could target the cancer cells specifically. After two years, she still remains cancer-free.

The therapy that came from the US National Cancer Institute is still experimental but the team hopes that it sets stone to become a new form of effective therapy for all forms of cancers.

Judy, who lives in Florida had an aggressive form of advanced cancer where her major organs were getting involved and there was no scope for treatment with conventional methods such as a chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy. Her cancer had spread to her liver and there was a secondary tumour there.

Several other small tumours were seen all over her body including once in her chest. After she was started on this immune therapy, her tumours began to shrink. Within three weeks she could feel them shrinking and it was making her feel better. Over few weeks her scan showed reducing and shrinking tumours until they were gone and she was told she could be completely cured of her cancer.

The team of researchers called this new immune therapy a “living drug” that is made up of the patient’s own cells. Dr Steven Rosenberg, chief of surgery at the National Cancer Institute said that this was the most “personalized” form of medicine that there is.

To make this therapy the team first tested the tumour genetically and looked at the different properties of the cancer that would make it a target of the immune system. In Judy’s case they would four targets that could be attacked with the drug among the 62 genetic abnormalities that were detected. Now the immune system could already be fighting a losing battle against the cancer.

The soldiers or the white blood cells are now extracted and the ones that can specifically fight the cancer are identified and isolated. These are then grown in the labs in large quantities. The troops now being ready are 90 billion in numbers.

These are then injected back into the patient and she is given drugs that allow the immune system to go all out in attack mode. The cells go on to attack all the tumours and shrink them in size finally curing the 49 year old woman.

This is still in an experimental stage at present. Larger clinical trials would be necessary before it is a proven effective and safe therapy say the team. In fact several studies have shown that immunotherapy works well in some patients and tend to fail in many patients. Dr Rosenberg said if proven, it could be beneficial in almost any form of cancer.

Reference:

Dr. Ananya Mandal

Written by

Dr. Ananya Mandal

Dr. Ananya Mandal is a doctor by profession, lecturer by vocation and a medical writer by passion. She specialized in Clinical Pharmacology after her bachelor's (MBBS). For her, health communication is not just writing complicated reviews for professionals but making medical knowledge understandable and available to the general public as well.

Citations

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

  • APA

    Mandal, Ananya. (2018, August 23). Breast cancer treated successfully with immune therapy. News-Medical. Retrieved on November 07, 2024 from https://www.news-medical.net/news/20180605/Breast-cancer-treated-successfully-with-immune-therapy.aspx.

  • MLA

    Mandal, Ananya. "Breast cancer treated successfully with immune therapy". News-Medical. 07 November 2024. <https://www.news-medical.net/news/20180605/Breast-cancer-treated-successfully-with-immune-therapy.aspx>.

  • Chicago

    Mandal, Ananya. "Breast cancer treated successfully with immune therapy". News-Medical. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20180605/Breast-cancer-treated-successfully-with-immune-therapy.aspx. (accessed November 07, 2024).

  • Harvard

    Mandal, Ananya. 2018. Breast cancer treated successfully with immune therapy. News-Medical, viewed 07 November 2024, https://www.news-medical.net/news/20180605/Breast-cancer-treated-successfully-with-immune-therapy.aspx.

Comments

The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of News Medical.
Post a new comment
Post

While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. We do not provide medical advice, if you search for medical information you must always consult a medical professional before acting on any information provided.

Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles.

Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Read the full Terms & Conditions.

You might also like...
Study identifies 80 genes linked to increased risk of breast cancer