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Many upcoming cancer therapies involve helping the patient’s own immune system to recognise and kill off the malignant tumours. AFP
More effective therapies, nanotechnology, and even the prospect of vaccinating for certain tumours – battles may slowly be starting to turn in the neverending war against cancer.
The second leading cause of death globally, cancer accounted for an estimated 9.6 million deaths – or one in six deaths – in 2018.
Here is a look at some of the more promising developments in treating and preventing this chronic disease:
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy drugs, which prime the immune system to recognise and destroy cancerous cells, have shown huge promise against previously untreatable cancers over the last decade.
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New weapons available in fight against cancer
Thu, 4 February 2021
More effective therapies, nanotechnology and even the prospect of vaccinating for certain tumours: battles may slowly be starting to turn in the never-ending war against cancer.
The second leading cause of death globally, cancer accounted for an estimated 9.6 million deaths, or one in six deaths, in 2018.
In observance of World Cancer Day on February 4, here is a look at some of the more promising developments in treating and preventing the disease.
Immunotherapy breakthroughs
Immunotherapy drugs, which prime the immune system to recognise and destroy cancerous cells, have shown huge promise against previously untreatable cancers over the last decade.
One promising avenue is the development of antibodies capable of recognising a specific protein found in cancerous cells, which would help the body to destroy those cells, Axel Kahn, president of the League Against Cancer, told AFP.
He said research had shown that administering medication or toxins helped destroy cancer cells after antibodies discover them.
Research is also ongoing into immunotherapy after chemotherapy, with the initial treatment creating mutations in cancer cells that may render them easier for the immune system to spot and hunt down.
Another technique known as checkpoint inhibitor therapy has also shown promise.
When proteins contained within cancer cells bind with immune cells, they send an off signal to the rest of the immune system, disabling the body s natural defences.