Page 20 - Inspire Magazine

New Treatments: see if joining forces can lengthen a person’s life even
What does this mean for you?
Lung cancer treatments are coming thick and fast;
alongside the traditional treatments of chemotherapy
and radiotherapy, a variety of immunotherapies and
targeted therapies are now available to people across
the UK.
There are currently ten targeted therapies and
immunotherapies approved for people with lung
cancer and many more undergoing trials and seeking
approval.
It is welcome news for everyone affected by lung
cancer; for those who are eligible for these new
therapies it offers an extra line of treatment and,
for those who aren’t, it shows that progress is being
made and gives fresh hope that a suitable treatment
could soon be available for them too.
“I’ve always
Quantity and quality
Whilst none of the new treatments said I was
are curative, they are diagnosed at the
demonstrating substantial
improvement in delaying cancer right time;
growth and, in some cases, even two years earlier
shrinking the tumour and
lengthening a person’s life. and it would have well to targeted therapy, doctors look for
been a very
The targeted therapy alectinib, for
example, has also shown significant different story.”
improvements in preventing and
delaying cancer spread to the brain.
This all points to one thing – people are living longer
with lung cancer, and, in many cases, experiencing a
better quality of life too.
We all know how gruelling chemotherapy can be on a
person; it conjures up a very clear image of hair loss
and nausea. Whilst not without side effects
including rashes, diarrhoea, sore mouth and loss of
appetite, people on targeted therapies and
immunotherapies often experience fewer, milder side
effects than chemotherapy. In some cases, people have
even been able to return to work.
Research is also underway into combination
treatments, such as immunotherapy and chemotherapy,
or even two different types of immunotherapy to
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further.
“I remember when the oncologist
told me I had been matched up
to a new drug and I would only need
to take one tablet a day and no
longer needed any chemo.
I jumped up and gave the man a hug.”
Eric
Treatments have come a long way and advances
continue to be made. It is vital to understand that,
whilst you might not currently be eligible for a
particular treatment, tumours can change so it’s vital
you are rebiopsied throughout your treatment (read
‘The Importance of Rebiopsying’ on page 18).
The science bit…
Cancer grows and spreads by dividing cells.
This is controlled by chemical processes
within the cell which send a signal to start
the cancer cells growing.
Sometimes a drug can block this chemistry.
This is called a targeted therapy.
To increase your chances of responding
specific characteristics that are different in
some kinds of cancer cells and show up in
the genes within the cells.
These are called mutations. The most common
mutations for non-small cell lung cancer are called
epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and
anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK).
Immunotherapies help the body’s own immune system
to recognise and destroy cancer cells.
Cancer cells can sometimes find ways to trick the
immune system into thinking they are normal cells
and, therefore, should not be attacked.
Immunotherapy ‘lifts the cloak’ and allows the immune
system to recognise and eradicate the abnormal
cancer cells.