American Perspective: Cancer and Strides Towards Cures

Cancer, as defined by the American Cancer Society, is a word used to describe more than 100 diseases. Cancer is not just one disease, but an umbrella term which can be used to cover an enormous amount of cases wherein body cells uncontrollably divide and grow, into primary or secondary tumors which may metastasize, stay in the blood stream, or otherwise. In IB Biology, we've learned that these cases arise because of one's living environment (influences epigenetics), predisposition for oncogene mutations, or simply because of mutations in DNA sequences -- random or because of certain chemicals, such as mutagens.

If one would like to read more general information about cancer and its different forms, the links below are very informative.

• http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/what-is-cancer

• http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancerbasics/index

• http://www.cancer.net/cancer-types 

Cancer is omnipresent in our world, and affects the lives of millions every day. In the United States alone, the National Cancer Institute estimates that about 8 million Americans have a history of cancer -- this includes both those who are considered cured and those who still have evidence of cancer today. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)  website states, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the US. For this reason, and for many others, a great deal of effort has been put into finding both treatments and cures for all the various types of cancer, and many strides have been made toward these goals with the help of new technology.

Specifically in 2015, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) made serious progress in terms of both cancer prevention and treatment. Highlighted within the "Clinical Cancer Advances 2016" annual ASCO report on progress in cancer research was the ASCO's Advance of the Year, cancer immunotherapy. This treatment involves manipulating the body's immune system to attack cancer wherever it is in the body, and has worked incredibly well for cancers such as advanced melanoma and lung cancer. This therapy, as explained in the report, is a dual strategy plan: "the first involves unleashing the body’s natural immune response to cancer, and the second helps the immune system find and destroy cancer cells".

This first strategy involves the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors, which release "tumor-induced brakes" in the immune system which allow it to attack and stop malignant tumors from growing, while allowing immune checkpoints, molecules used by the body to control immune responses, to minimize the damage of the affected tissue. The ASCO states that by late 2014, “three life-extending checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapies were FDA approved for the treatment of advanced melanoma” (ipilimumab, nivolumab, and pembrolizumab), and that “these new drugs have surpassed the efficacy of traditional melanoma treatments” (Dizon et. al). There is even evidence to suggest that combining different immunotherapies could further benefit the patients for whom single immunotherapies have worked, and also those who have not been exposed as of yet, despite the fact that some patients had adverse effects. 

In the case of lung cancer, which as the ASCO states is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths world-wide, immune checkpoint inhibitors have also been proven to be beneficial. Recent clinical trials have shown that “compared with standard second-line chemotherapy, nivolumab”, one of the 3 checkpoint inhibitors, “significantly improved the median overall survival (9 months v 6 months), nearly doubling the 1-year survival rate (42% v 24%)” (Dizon et. al). To learn more about the immunotherapy developments made by the ASCO, the links below explain the therapies in extensive detail.

• http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/early/2016/02/01/JCO.2015.65.8427.full
• http://www.cancerprogress.net/cca/advances-cancer-treatment

Both Melanoma and lung cancer are considered incurable as of yet, but these immunotherapy treatments which have been and are currently being further developed are amazing steps towards finding cures for cancer in its different forms. The development of these new drugs and technologies has enabled scientists and oncologists not only to learn more about the cancers they are dealing with, but also to make great strides towards finding cures and more efficient and helpful treatments for different types of cancers.

Sources

American Cancer Society. "What Is Cancer? A Guide for Patients and Families." What Is Cancer? American Cancer Society, 8 Dec. 2015. Web. 14 Feb. 2016. <http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancerbasics/what-is-cancer>.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Statistics for Different Kinds of Cancer." CDC - Cancer Prevention and Control. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20 Aug. 2015. Web. 14 Feb. 2016. <http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/data/types.htm>.

Dizon, D. S., L. Krilov, E. Cohen, T. Gangadhar, P. A. Ganz, T. A. Hensing, S. Hunger, S. S. Krishnamurthi, A. B. Lassman, M. J. Markham, E. Mayer, M. Neuss, S. K. Pal, L. C. Richardson, R. Schilsky, G. K. Schwartz, D. R. Spriggs, M. A. Villalona-Calero, G. Villani, and G. Masters. "Clinical Cancer Advances 2016: Annual Report on Progress Against Cancer From the American Society of Clinical Oncology." Journal of Clinical Oncology (2016): n. pag. Clinical Cancer Advances 2016. American Society of Clinical Oncology, 4 Feb. 2016. Web. 14 Feb. 2016. <http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/early/2016/02/01/JCO.2015.65.8427.full>.