'Extraordinary' Cancer Breakthrough

[Cleoriff]

Tests of a potentially revolutionary cancer therapy have had "extraordinary" results on terminally ill patients, scientists have revealed.

The research, which took place at the Cancer Research Centre in Seattle USA, involves removing immune cells called T-cells from patients, tagging them with "receptor" molecules that target cancer, and putting them back into the body in an infusion.

In one study, more than nine out of ten participants with a severe form of leukaemia and a life expectancy of 3-5 months.....saw their symptoms completely vanish. From a medical perspective I am quite stunned at this news.

Yes, it's in it's infancy and there are no figures as to how long the remission lasts....however the implications for the use of this treatment in other cancers is quite overwhelming.

http://news.sky.com/story/1642626/extraordinary-cancer-breakthrough-revealed

[Cleoriff]

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@gmarkj wrote:
having not read the links, one of the first positives of this would be the lack of side effects - as the cells are targeting the cancerous tissue the surrounding area should be left alone...

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@gmarkj The first link does show some negative results (last paragraph). However, if there was a life expectancy of 2-5 months only...then there is absolutely nothing to lose in my opinion....

[gmarkj]

having just read the article it does sound promising, if they can address the reaction.
as you say, if this gives some chance to those that have none (or very little) it is an improvement.
an uncle who suffered refused further chemo treatments as it would only extend his time briefly vs the loss of time feeling ill from side effects.

[Cleoriff]

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@Bambino wrote:

I'm ashamed to say it, but for years, stem cell research and genetic engineering were banned in the US because of the politics of the evangelical right wing there. Thankfully that was reversed, but politics being what they are in America, there's always the possibility that medical research could be thrown back into the dark ages if the wrong people get elected to office. We can only hope that doesn't happen.

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@Bambino  I just wonder if this is the reason the researchers took the unprecedented step of releasing the information before it had been independently trialled? Normally any type of medical research has to go through more rigorous testing before publication and 'acceptance'? If this is the case, thank god they did...

The word is 'out there' now and there is no going back...

[Cleoriff]

94% of patients given this treatment saw the cancer disappear completely...Magnificent results by any standard

[jonsie]

Absolutely remarkable. Having lost loved ones through heart wrenching agony, relieved only by massive doses of morphine, this has to be the way of things in the future.

[blissgirl]

Shame it wasn't availble for my dad's cousin that had cancer (good news though)

[Cleoriff]

I have to give a mention here to Great Ormond Street who did a very similar trial last year on a 1 year old child with incurable leukaemia.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34731498

[viridis]

This is amazing news, really, really ground breaking. It seems every week we hear more and more about how scientists are slowly understanding more about these vicious illnesses.

[Cleoriff]

I honestly saw so many innovative developments in my time in nursing. I would not have missed those for anything...

I do wish I could be there again though at the forefront of this pioneering work. ..Quite breathtaking really.

[Bambino]

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@Cleoriff wrote:

@Bambino  I just wonder if this is the reason the researchers took the unprecedented step of releasing the information before it had been independently trialled? Normally any type of medical research has to go through more rigorous testing before publication and 'acceptance'? If this is the case, thank god they did...

The word is 'out there' now and there is no going back...

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I'm sorry to say it @Cleoriff, but if the Republicans win the next presidential election, they can go back, and probably will. There was no research of this kind during George W. Bush's presidency. It pushed science back years. If the far right in America gets the White House, all this research will get put on hold. Of course it can carry on elsewhere, but the big money to fund it will stop, and the big pharma companies in the US will not be allowed to carry on researching. I hope, and so should all of us, that this doesn't happen. I can do a little more than you, because I can vote, and I will. This research must not stop.