In London the recent research shows that “Nivolumab” stops cancerous cells hiding from the body’s own defenses, leaving the cancer vulnerable to attack.The results from 582 people, presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology, were described as giving real hope to patients.Lung cancer is the most deadly type of cancer, killing people every year.
It is hard to treat as it is often diagnosed late and many people with smoking-related diseases are unsuitable for surgery.Cancer Research UK said harnessing the immune system would be an “essential part” of cancer treatment.Dr. Alan Worsley, the charity’s senior science information officer said that the trial showed that blocking lung cancer’s ability to hide from immune cells might be better than current chemotherapy treatments.
It is hoped these drugs will work in a range of cancers. Nivolumab has already been approved in the US for melanoma.But there are still big questions to be answered.The long-term consequences of modifying the immune system are still unknown and the best way of figuring out who will respond to therapy is uncertain.And these therapies are also likely to be very expensive and so will pose a challenge for health services trying to offer them.
