In Historic First, Woman Is Cured of Stage 4 Breast Cancer

Researchers in Maryland are working on introducing full-scale clinical trials for adoptive cell transfer to be used in other cases pertaining to advanced cancer, including ovarian cancer and prostate cancer. They believe that by lowering the dose of T-cells, this could reduce the side effects experienced, with the potential for the cells to persist throughout the course of one’s life. Although the research team stressed that the therapy has only been tested and proved successful in one woman, they believe that it could potentially help thousands of cancer patients who continuously battle with the unwanted effects of chemotherapy and other traditional cancer therapies.

Across the nation, cancer researchers are experimenting with a wide range of immunotherapies and gene-targeting techniques and they are seeing similarly impressive outcomes. The techniques have not presented any unwanted side effects, as opposed to traditional cancer therapies.

One drug in particular, larotrectinib, proved to be extremely successful in targeting a gene found many different types of cancer. Its 93% success rate during early testing of pediatric cancer patients earned it FDA breakthrough status. “Every patient with a TRK fusion-positive solid tumor treated on this study had their tumor shrink. The nearly universal response rate seen with larotrectinib is unprecedented,” said Dr. Ted Laetsch, assistant professor of pediatrics.