The way we treat cancer has drastically changed over the last few decades and a new type of treatment has physicians looking at the possibilities of having a “one-size fits all” type of treatment to offer their patients.
T-cell therapy (the most popular of which is CAR-T) involves removing cells from a patient and reprogramming them to fight cancer cells after being reintroduced to the body. This type of therapy has shown strong results in fighting certain types of cancer – but not solid tumors, which are the bulk of cancer types.
(Dr. Jeff Wiisanen)
It Takes Two with Amy and JJ had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Jeff Wiisanen, a doctor with Sanford who specializes in Medical Oncology and Hematology.
Dr. Wiisanen explains the type of patient who might be eligible for T-cell therapy and why using a term like “one-size fits all” might be a little premature.
The hope is that scientists are able to unlock the ability to have these reprogrammed cells fight solid tumors and make a massive step towards being able to fight cancer with a product that the body is already producing (which helps keep the patient from allergic reactions to foreign bodies) and treat cancer with a far less invasive therapy like chemo or radiation.
The work on T-cell therapy has been ongoing and there are a great number of advancements that lead to a “one-size fits all” cancer treatment – but some doctors think that this could be a massive step.
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Looking Ahead: The Future of Cancer Screening
Many Women with Early Stage Breast Cancer Can Skip Chemotherapy?
Hormel Foods Develops Food for Chemo Patients
(Amy Iler & JJ Gordon are talk-show hosts at 790 AM KFGO in Fargo-Moorhead. “It Takes 2 with Amy & JJ” can be heard weekdays 11am-2pm. Follow Amy on Twitter @AmyKFGO. Follow JJ on Twitter @JJGodon701.)
