Research on potential cancer cures have been going on for decades and recent discoveries in the field continue to be made today. Active areas in cancer research include causes, treatments and new methods for diagnosis, and risk reduction and management. Cancer research has improved global survival rates significantly, thanks to new understanding of risk factors and causes, preventive methods and cures. Here are the top facts about the progress towards cancer cures in the recent years.
Vaccination
The introduction of anti-cancer vaccines has gained widespread support over the recent years, particularly because this offers a viable preventive treatment option that targets healthy but at-risk individuals. These vaccines are also often autologous, which means that they are prepared from samples taken from the patient himself, posing a very low risk of unwanted side effects. Cancer vaccines now being administered today include vaccines for cervical and liver cancers, such as the HPV and Hepa B. In 2010, Provenge, a vaccine for the treatment of prostate cancer, was granted FDA approval. Oncophage, another vaccine for kidney cancer, received approval in Russia in 2008. Other vaccines currently undergoing clinical trials today include Stimuvax for breast cancer, Cvac for ovarian cancer and ClimaVax-EGF for lung cancer.
Diet
Experts recognize the need for research on optimal nutritional approaches for cancer patients which should be based on a gamut of factors such as type of cancer, stage of the disease, nutrition history and lab values. There is also a need to provide a unified and comprehensive database for ideal nutritional approaches which can only be done with further research, since current literature on diet for cancer patients is tailored for the general public, with limited information for patients with specific diseases in varying stages.
Precision Medicine and Immunotherapy
Precision medicine and immunotherapy have shown promise in early-stage trials as featured in the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in 2016. This is the leading trend in cancer cures in recent years, characterized by the application of targeted therapies already approved for certain cancers to other cancer types. Trials enroll patients not based on the type of cancer but based on whether or not tumors manifest molecular alterations that can be targeted with already approved therapies. Immunotherapy also remains an area of focus in cancer research especially in bladder cancer. The most recent medication approved by the FDA, atezolizumab, is the first new treatment for the disease in 20 years.
Single-drug Treatment for Multiple Cancers
Various research are showing the promise of the MEK protein inhibitors in the treatment of several cancers. It has been shown to produce encouraging results in patients with melanoma as well as advanced thyroid, biliary, multiple myeloma, and ovarian cancers. The most recently approved MEK ihibitor is trametinib for the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma. Recent challenges include increasing the period of efficacy in the bloodstream as well as limiting side effects.
Unexpected life occurrences such as cancers, other serious illness, and even injuries stemming from car accidents require a legal and financial safety net. Legal professionals can provide valuable information on how you can protect yourself in the event that contingencies arise.
Vaccination
The introduction of anti-cancer vaccines has gained widespread support over the recent years, particularly because this offers a viable preventive treatment option that targets healthy but at-risk individuals. These vaccines are also often autologous, which means that they are prepared from samples taken from the patient himself, posing a very low risk of unwanted side effects. Cancer vaccines now being administered today include vaccines for cervical and liver cancers, such as the HPV and Hepa B. In 2010, Provenge, a vaccine for the treatment of prostate cancer, was granted FDA approval. Oncophage, another vaccine for kidney cancer, received approval in Russia in 2008. Other vaccines currently undergoing clinical trials today include Stimuvax for breast cancer, Cvac for ovarian cancer and ClimaVax-EGF for lung cancer.
Diet
Experts recognize the need for research on optimal nutritional approaches for cancer patients which should be based on a gamut of factors such as type of cancer, stage of the disease, nutrition history and lab values. There is also a need to provide a unified and comprehensive database for ideal nutritional approaches which can only be done with further research, since current literature on diet for cancer patients is tailored for the general public, with limited information for patients with specific diseases in varying stages.
Precision Medicine and Immunotherapy
Precision medicine and immunotherapy have shown promise in early-stage trials as featured in the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in 2016. This is the leading trend in cancer cures in recent years, characterized by the application of targeted therapies already approved for certain cancers to other cancer types. Trials enroll patients not based on the type of cancer but based on whether or not tumors manifest molecular alterations that can be targeted with already approved therapies. Immunotherapy also remains an area of focus in cancer research especially in bladder cancer. The most recent medication approved by the FDA, atezolizumab, is the first new treatment for the disease in 20 years.
Single-drug Treatment for Multiple Cancers
Various research are showing the promise of the MEK protein inhibitors in the treatment of several cancers. It has been shown to produce encouraging results in patients with melanoma as well as advanced thyroid, biliary, multiple myeloma, and ovarian cancers. The most recently approved MEK ihibitor is trametinib for the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma. Recent challenges include increasing the period of efficacy in the bloodstream as well as limiting side effects.
Unexpected life occurrences such as cancers, other serious illness, and even injuries stemming from car accidents require a legal and financial safety net. Legal professionals can provide valuable information on how you can protect yourself in the event that contingencies arise.
