Winners and Losers in the Ongoing Fight Against Cancer

Science is constantly evolving and ongoing research is aimed at finding solutions for diagnosing and treating cancer. There are some notable advancements that hopefully will be put to good use in the years to come, and there are also innovative strategies which are already in place producing positive results. While no procedure or treatment is without risks or side effects, there have been situations in which the unwanted effects of certain therapeutic approaches were not fully disclosed to the patients, therefore not allowing an informed decision to be made. Even worse, in some cases, patients were presented with false or exaggerated claims regarding the potential benefits of a certain medical solution.

Stem Cell Transplants

In certain types of cancer patients undergo high doses of chemotherapy or radiotherapy that destroy the cells which would normally be responsible for generating new healthy blood cells.

Stem cells have the ability to populate the bone marrow that has been depleted of such cells as a result of cancer therapy, producing new healthy blood cells. Stem cells can be harvested from blood marrow, peripheral blood, and the umbilical cord.

When stem cells come from the same person the transplant is called autologous. If the patient receives stem cells collected from another person, then the transplant is called allogeneic. If the donor is an identical twin the transplant is called syngeneic.

Prior to performing the stem cell allogeneic transplant, a compatibility test is run so that a suitable donor is identified. The patient is more likely to find a compatible donor among siblings or other close relatives, but sometimes there is a match between the patient and an unrelated donor.

In certain types of cancer, such as leukemia or multiple myeloma, the stem cell transplant may actually contribute to fighting the disease and preventing a relapse. There is an effect called “graft versus tumor” that occurs when the transplant is allogeneic. This effect means that the adult immune cells that come from the donor successfully recognize and destroy any remaining cancer cells in the recipient’s body.

A Promising New Screening Test for Endometrial and Ovarian Cancer

New research shows that diagnosing endometrial and ovarian cancer early on might be possible through a non-invasive test that uses the samples collected for a routine Pap test.

The test is called PapSEEK and it was showed to correctly identify most women with endometrial cancer and one-third of women with ovarian cancer, in a study funded by the National Cancer Institute (US). All subjects included in the study had already been diagnosed with either endometrial or ovarian cancer, and the study was conducted with the purpose of evaluating the test’s sensitivity. The test is a liquid biopsy that identifies DNA alterations linked to cancer, using the same samples collected for a regular Pap test.

When analyzing Pap test samples, PapSEEK correctly produced positive results in 81 percent of women diagnosed with endometrial cancer and respectively in 33 percent of the women suffering from ovarian cancer.

The test produced only 1.4 percent false positive results in the case of healthy women, therefore proving to have a high specificity.

Additional testing is required to evaluate whether PapSEEK can correctly detect cancer-related DNA alterations in samples collected from subjects which have not yet been diagnosed with cancer.

Docetaxel (Taxotere) Under Scrutiny

Docetaxel, marketed under the US brand name of Taxotere, is a drug approved for the treatment of several types of cancer. The chemotherapeutic agent is in use for breast cancer, stomach cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer and head and neck cancer.

Lately, this medicine has been involved in a series of lawsuits because some patients have experienced permanent hair loss after using this drug as part of their cancer treatment.

Its most common side effects include fluid retention associated with weight gain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, mouth sores, hair loss, low red and white blood cell count, fatigue and weakness, toenails color changes, as well as muscle and joint pain.

One essential aspect in the case that is being built against the manufacturers of Docetaxel is the fact that after being approved as a cancer-fighting drug, its label mentioned a series of side effects, but not the fact that it might cause permanent hair loss. Permanent hair loss was mentioned as one of its side effects only in recent years.

Conclusion

Innovative tests, procedures, and drugs are being developed in an ongoing effort to help diagnose and treat cancer. Researchers are striving to discover screening solutions for detecting cancer early on, as well as new or improved treatment options. Therapies available today help the patient fight against a terrible disease such as cancer, but they are also associated with risks and side effects that patients should be aware of.

Doctor-patient dialogue is essential for selecting the best treatment plan and patients have the right to make informed decisions. Some treatment options have been validated as being efficient and relatively safe, while others are still under research. It is important to note that in cases where patients are hurt by misleading or insufficient information, they can take action and, as they are not alone in the battle against cancer, they are also not alone in their fight for justice.