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1 in 3 people will get cancer, but there is good news
Until 20 years ago the diagnosis of cancer was equivalent to a death sentence, but in the last decade the medical world has experienced a significant breakthrough when it comes to treating the disease.
Ahead of International Cancer Day, Dr. Valeria Semnisti, Director of the Hillel Yaffe Oncology Institute, reviews all new treatments
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cancer
Immunotherapy
Dr. Valeria Semanisti, guest article
Thursday, 04 February 2021, 07:45
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The most common disease worldwide.
Cancer cells divide (Photo: Giphy)
Cancer is the most common disease worldwide, and 1 in 3 people will get it during their lifetime.
It is not for nothing that over the past decade scientists and medical professionals have studied the disease extensively in an attempt to find effective and efficient solutions for diagnosis and treatment, even if it involves prolonging a patient's life and improving his quality of life.
In recent years we have witnessed the rapid development of a new type of biological drugs for the treatment of cancer that are not based on mechanisms similar to those of chemotherapy.
Beyond expanding the drug pool and developing advanced technologies that enable comprehensive examination of tumor cells, the advancement of biological drugs has ushered in oncology into a new era of personal care.
Treatment has changed dramatically, especially for patients whose disease is in an advanced stage.
Today, many patients are enjoying a new and promising generation of immunotherapeutic and biological drugs.
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To the full article
What is biological therapy?
Biological therapy is actually therapy using substances that are produced in the body naturally or alternatively, substances that are produced under laboratory conditions that are identical to proteins that the body produces itself.
This treatment is based on customized medicine when the patient is tailored to a biological drug that best suits him according to the molecular picture of his tumor.
A biological drug adapted according to the molecular picture of the tumor.
Cancerous growth (Photo: ShutterStock)
Through genetic testing, the various mutations that characterize the tumor cells and their biological mechanism can be identified.
Customized biological treatment can significantly improve the prognosis of the disease.
In addition, the side effects of biologics are less severe than the side effects of concomitant chemotherapy treatments, which also contributes to better treatment outcomes.
This treatment is performed using pills or intravenously.
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In the last decade, biological therapies have become an integral part of the treatment of various types of malignancies, ie breast, lung, kidney, colon, colon, ovarian, head and neck, brain and other tumors.
In some of them, the biological treatments turned the bowl upside down by increasing the effectiveness of oncology treatment, and in some even completely replacing the chemotherapy treatment.
Next generation: immunotherapeutic drugs
These drugs act on the immune system in order to return the cells of the immune system to normal activity and attack the foreign protein that contains the cancer cells.
The immunotherapeutic drugs restore the immune system to normal function so that it can detect and attack the malignant cells.
The treatment with immunotherapeutic drugs has already proven its effectiveness and there have been excellent successes in the field of kidney tumors, melanoma and more.
Studies conducted at a number of leading centers around the world clearly show that a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy drugs increases the chances of survival and immunotherapeutic drugs also have a significant effect on patients' quality of life especially melanoma, lung tumors, kidney tumors and tumors with unstable findings.
A combination of chemotherapy treatments and immunotherapeutic drugs increases the chances of survival.
Chemotherapy (Photo: ShutterStock)
Personal care
The treatment of cancer today for every person is personalized treatment.
The implication is that no one person's cancer is similar to another person's cancer, even if it is the same type of cancer.
In some cancers there is great progress in the field and there are already a number of chemotherapy treatments, radiation, immunotherapy and biological treatments.
Apart from the new treatments it should be remembered that these do not replace periodic checkups and it is important to make sure to perform periodic checkups, such as colonoscopy, mammogram, gynecologist checkup, stool test for occult blood.
Remember - early detection saves lives.
If until a few years ago the survival expectancy of a metastatic disease (melanoma, lung cancer, stomach cancer, etc.) was one year on average, today we are witnessing a survival of several years thanks to biological therapies and immunotherapy.
It is important to note that the patient's quality of life in those "years of survival" is of paramount importance.
In those years the patient is able to function almost normally, travel the world, spend time with his family and gain new experiences, all thanks to the appropriate oncology treatments and the support of the staff of the Oncology Institute and his family.
Unfortunately, not all patients benefit from these innovative treatments.
To determine if a patient is suitable for this type of treatment, molecular tests should be performed in order to tailor the appropriate treatment to the specific tumor of the patient.
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