In 2020, Covid killed 3 million individuals.
In that same year, cancer silently killed 10 million.
It’s a leading cause of death according to the World Health Organization, accounting for 1 in every 6.
Cancer is a national health priority. In the Philippines, 4 of our kababayans die of cancer every hour. You probably know someone who has died of it or is battling it.
Cancer can affect any organ or tissue, can come at any age and can hit anybody regardless of sex and nationality.
So how is the human race faring in the fight against “The Big C?” What are the advances we’ve made to tilt the odds more in our favor?
Here are some of the exciting and encouraging developments on that front:
Personalized Prevention
In 2003, the unraveling of the human genome was considered one of the greatest feats in biology and medicine.
But owing to the limited tech and techniques at the time, the results had very important “gaps,” dark corners that held vital information. In short, 8% was missing and it was some of the most important stuff in the story of human life.
Prof. Michael Schatz of Johns Hopkins University says that if this were a detective novel, “precisely the pages where you would find out who the murderer is were missing.”
But in March of this year, 20 years since the release of the first serious draft of the human genome, we have finally completed the job and shone a bright spotlight on its missing pages.
This has serious implications for cancer research.
We can identify mutations in an individual’s DNA and more precisely predict the types of cancer he is most at-risked for. Genetic testing can provide unrivaled insights into the “pre-patient.” We can then put him under health protocols and regular screenings aimed at preventing cancer from developing in the first place.
So instead of finding a cure, we come to the realm of prevention—long before any signs of trouble.
Teaching “soldiers” how to fight
The field of immunotherapy has made significant strides against cancer.
Immunotherapy employs an individual’s own immune system in the battle against cancer, activating some mechanisms or suppressing others—in essence, “re-engineering” the immune system to best respond to the issue.
As of late, and again from the field of genetics, we can now identify genetic and protein abnormalities in the tumor. Armed with that knowledge, we can now target cancer cells with greater precision and more impact.
One such breakthrough is CAR T-cell Therapy which has been found effective against a variety of cancers. This involves taking T-cells from the patient’s blood and “changing” them in the lab. (We are essentially adding antigen receptors to the T-cells so they can bind to the target cancer cells.) The fortified T-cells are then re-introduced into the patient and allowed to do their job of attacking cancer.
On the drugs' side, a formulation called pembrolizumab (Keytruda) has been found to treat lung, kidney, breast, and skin cancers. The drug works by blocking the action of a protein called “PD-L1.” Doing so makes the immune system more active and effective in killing cancer cells.
Sharpening “blunt” instruments
Chemo and radiation therapy have been cancer treatment mainstays for decades. But they are “blunt” instruments that also cause inadvertent damage to healthy cells and tissues.
A device called RefleXion X1 provides a way to get to cancer cells without damaging nearby healthy cells. And it does so in real-time.
RefleXion X1 is PET (Positron Emission Tomography)-CT (Computed Tomography)-and Radiation Therapy “all-in-one.”
Before the treatment session, patients are given radioactive PET tracers that would be absorbed by the tumors. The tracers are detected by the PET scanner and guide radiation delivery in real-time. Not only is the device able to shape the radiation beamlets, it allows the beams to land on target even when the tumors are moving rapidly. This is the world’s first-ever biology-guided radiotherapy (BgRT).
RefleXion X1 addresses one of the knottiest problems in cancer treatment, that of treating multiple tumors, in different areas, of different natures and sizes.
Because the radiation is “biologically guided” to each tumor, this means multiple tumors can be addressed in one session. This has serious life-saving potential for patients with Stage 4 metastatic cancer.
Novel Delivery Procedure
In advanced cases of cancer, the problem would have metastasized or spread to other parts of the body. Often, these nodules are extremely small and are very hard to reach. They would have also proliferated on a considerable area, making surgery, IV chemotherapy, and radiation not very desirable options.
For these cases, and those in the advanced stages, trials have been conducted using “PIPAC” or Pressurized Intraperitoneal Aerosol Chemotherapy.
For example, in a case with multiple metastases in the abdominal area, a laparoscopic instrument is inserted and carbon dioxide is pumped through the tube in order to inflate the abdomen. This creates spaces around the organs and exposes hard-to-reach areas.
PIPAC then employs a tiny nebulizer pen (hooked to a high-pressure injector) to spread the aerosolized form of the chemo into the different areas of the abdomen, making sure to spray corners and crevices normally not exposed. Drugs are delivered directly on the metastases. Instead of IV, the drug is sprayed on the tumors, having direct contact with them.
This misting takes around 30 minutes and then the droplets are vacuumed out. The whole procedure takes around 90 minutes, is performed every six weeks, and is planned for six cycles. Because PIPAC administers dosages of only around 10 % to 20% of the typical chemo dose, side effects have been minimal.
Initial results are very promising. PIPAC will be an option and a hope for patients where standard chemotherapy didn’t work and surgery is out of the question.
Our weapons in the fight against cancer are getting more effective, more precise, and less invasive. Each day brings new data points to combat the big “C.” But early detection is vital for positive outcomes. Cancer caught early, can be stopped from causing serious, irreparable damage to the body. Bloodworks Lab provides cancer screenings (prostate, ovary, and colon) and tests.
As a premier medical testing facility, Bloodworks offers a full range of blood tests and medical assessments. We have different packages—like the “Senior Citizen’s Check-up” and the “Pre-employment Package”—tailored to your different needs.
We are also proud to be the first in the country to offer the Anti Acetylcholine Receptor (lgG) Antibody Test and the Anti N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor (Anti NMDA Receptor) Antibody Test.
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