Advancements in immunotherapy and personalized medicine have pushed the oncology field forward, according to leaders from MD Anderson and City of Hope who shared their insights with Becker's.
Question: Where has the industry made the most progress in the last five years?
Editor's note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Peter Pisters, MD. President of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston): Immunotherapy has been at the center of cancer treatment advances in recent years. We have seen tremendous responses for many patients with immune checkpoint inhibitors, improving five-year survival for melanoma patients from 3% historically to 60% in a recent study. MD Anderson's James P. Allison Institute is continuing to expand our understanding of immunotherapy and immunobiology to bring the benefits of immunotherapy to more patients.
Building upon that foundation, we are also seeing very exciting progress in recent years with cell therapies, such as CAR-T cell therapies. Our experts are advancing new approaches, such as CAR NK cells and TCR-based therapies, broadening applications for cell therapies to many more patients. In our mission to end cancer, we are paving the way for more integrated and effective treatment and therapeutic modalities.
Robert Stone. CEO of City of Hope: Beyond the incredible strides we’ve made with innovation, the fact that more people now recognize the connection between access to optimal cancer care and survival is an incredibly important step toward more equitable, effective cancer care. When you focus on what’s good for the patient and what they value – survival, quality of life, and a return to normalcy – you can make a world of difference for families, the community and society. That’s why connecting people to the innovation and expertise available at a comprehensive cancer center is so important. We can save many more lives with the technology and innovation available today.
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