Cancer Treatment: Cancer is a very dangerous disease, most people get scared on hearing its name. This disease gradually weakens the body and completely changes a person’s life. While till now chemotherapy, radiation and medicines have been used for its treatment, now a new method has emerged in the medical world, which is called immunotherapy. This is not a normal medicine, but a treatment which helps in fighting cancer by strengthening the body’s own immunity i.e. immune system. If understood in simple language, it activates the body’s protective power so much that it itself tries to identify and eliminate cancer cells. This is the reason why it is being considered as a new and modern method in the treatment of cancer which has brought a new hope for the patients.

How does immunotherapy work?

Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment that activates the body’s immune cells so that they can recognize and attack cancer cells. In such a situation, this therapy works to remove those obstacles. This includes medicines like checkpoint inhibitors which remove the brakes on immune cells and activate them. This is why this therapy creates a strong protection against cancer by enhancing the body’s natural fighting ability.

How does immunotherapy work inside the body?

T cells present in the immune system work to identify and destroy cancer cells. But sometimes cancer cells send such signals, due to which these T cells get confused. Such immunotherapy improves this process. It also helps T cells identify cancer, strengthens the immune response and blocks signals that stop the attack. According to the doctor, some patients get long term benefits from this treatment. Its side effects may also be less as compared to chemotherapy.

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How effective is this therapy?

Immunotherapy is not equally effective for every patient, but good results have been seen in many cases. Especially its effect has been seen more in some types of cancer like lung cancer, skin cancer and blood related cancer. Also, in some patients, this treatment helps in controlling the disease for a long time. However, it works differently for every stage and every person, hence doctor’s advice is very important.

Along with hope, caution is also necessary

While immunotherapy is a ray of hope for patients, it can also have some side effects such as fatigue, fever or mild swelling in the body. Therefore, it is always done under the supervision of a doctor. In today’s time, this treatment is being considered a big step against cancer, which not only gives treatment to the patients but also gives new hope to live life.

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Pancreas cancer is counted among the most dangerous and deadly cancers in the world. This disease progresses so silently that by the time its symptoms are clearly visible, it is often too late. This is the reason why about 90 percent of patients suffering from this cancer die within five years.

This cancer has remained a big challenge for doctors and scientists for a long time. Neither is it detected early nor are there very effective options for its treatment. But now, after several decades of despair, some new research has shown a new light of hope. In recent years, scientists have been trying to understand how to prepare the body’s own immune system in such a way that it can fight cancer on its own. In this direction, enthusiasm has increased regarding treatment based on vaccine and immunotherapy.

Successful experiment on rats, hope for humans

Spanish scientists have recently developed a new combination therapy method, which completely eliminated pancreas cancer tumors from the body of rats in the laboratory. Although this research has not yet been tried on humans, its results are so positive that scientists have started feeling that in future this method can help in saving the lives of patients.

Earlier, in America too, scientists had conducted initial human trials of mRNA-based personalized pancreas cancer vaccine, in which good results were seen in some patients. These two studies together have indicated that vaccine-based treatment can bring a big change in the future.

How does this new therapy work?

This study conducted in Spain was conducted by scientist Mariano Barbaside and his team from the Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO). This treatment is not based on any one medicine, rather three different methods have been used together. The first of which is advanced immunotherapy, through which the body’s immune system is strengthened. After this, the second cancer vaccine, which teaches the immune system to recognize cancer cells.

The third one is checkpoint inhibitors, which remove the brakes on the immune system and allow it to freely fight cancer. By combining these three, scientists broke the protective shield around the cancer, so that T-cells could attack the cancer and the tumor could not return. Experts believe that using more than one method together makes treatment more effective than giving only one medicine.

Statistics show the seriousness of the disease

According to the World Health Organization’s cancer agency, about 5.1 lakh new cases of pancreas cancer were reported worldwide in 2022. In the same year, about 4.6 lakh people died due to this cancer. The situation is worrying in India also. 13,661 new patients and 12,759 deaths were recorded here. These figures clearly show how quickly this cancer kills.

KRAS gene and the problem of drug resistance

In about 90 percent of pancreas cancer cases, a gene called KRAS is defective (mutated). For a long time, no drug was available that could target this gene. For about 50 years, treatment mainly depended on chemotherapy. In 2021, drugs targeting KRAS were approved for the first time, but the problem was that within a few months the tumor developed resistance against those drugs.

Barbasid and his team found a unique solution to this problem. They blocked the KRAS signaling pathway at not one, but three different places. Although the results are very encouraging, the scientists themselves are cautious. Barbacid has clearly said that we are not yet ready to try this triple therapy on humans. He said that more research, safety testing and preparation is needed before starting human trials.

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Disclaimer: This information is based on research studies and expert opinion. Do not consider this as a substitute for medical advice. Before adopting any new activity or exercise, consult your doctor or relevant specialist.

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