Should cancer patients GO FOR BROKE on this ‘designer’ immunotherapy?
Friend, I didn’t think it was possible for mainstream cancer therapies to get any MORE nightmarish…
But the drug companies are at it again.
And they’re using DESPERATE patients as guinea pigs for a RADICAL type of immunotherapy – one that’s been approved for certain types of blood cancers.
They’re busy patting themselves on the back for HARNESSING “synthetic biology”…
And creating “designer” immune cells for “personalized” cancer therapy.
But here’s the catch…
It involves genetically modifying your OWN immune system!
The sales pitch is that it could MELT your tumors…
Literally DISSOLVE cancer cells…
Even in cases of ADVANCED cancer.
That could give hope to cancer patients in DIRE need of a light at the end of the tunnel.
But there are some pretty big risks you need to know about before you set yourself up to become a living lab experiment.
High stakes
In Greek mythology, a “chimera” is a hybrid beast – one with a lion’s head, a goat’s body, and a serpent’s tail.
It’s a monster… a creature to be feared…
And so it seems PERFECTLY appropriate that Big Pharma’s SCARIEST cancer treatment to date should be named after it.
It’s called chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy…
And it involves creating SYNTHETIC immune systems… by MANIPULATING the immune cells known as T cells.
You see, T cells normally fight off pathogens… but they can’t necessarily recognize cancer cells on their own.
But by INSERTING certain bits of genetic code from another type of immune cell, known as B cells…
Scientists are DESIGNING specialized T cells that ATTACK cancer.
That may sound like the answer to our PRAYERS when it comes to finding an effective weapon against cancer…
But it turns out these “supercharged” T cells could be a CURSE for some patients.
They stay “alive” for YEARS… working to PROLONG remission… and STAVE OFF future recurrences of the cancer.
But the immune reaction they trigger is so VIOLENT…
It’s marked by a high fever… and possibly even coma.
Scientists call this inflammatory response cytokine release syndrome, or CRS. It’s so severe, if it happens to you, it could send you into the ICU.
The creators of CART T-cell therapy say that when CRS happens, the therapy is WORKING.
But CART T-cell therapy has ALSO been known to lead to life-threatening complications, like…
- infections as a result of B-cell depletion
- anaphylaxis
- neurotoxicity, including delirium, seizures, and loss of speech
- brain swelling k.a. cerebral edema
- organ damage, and
- death.
These adverse events aren’t rare… but exceedingly COMMON!
That hasn’t stopped the FDA from approving CAR T cells for leukemia (including in children) and lymphoma in recent years…
And it seems likely that other uses… including for solid tumors… may follow.
Listen, I’d LOVE it if they could find a way to make this therapy safer for cancer patients… so they don’t have to choose between dying of their disease or dying of their treatment.
And only you can decide what’s right for you… especially if you’re facing cancer that’s COME BACK.
But if you’re cancer doc isn’t 100% upfront with you about the risks of CART T-cell therapy… it may be time to get a second opinion before you go “all in.”
And when you do, consider adding an integrative oncologist to your care team.
He may be able to introduce you to some non-drug therapies that can AUGMENT your treatment plan…
With little-to-no risk.
To not gambling it all,
Melissa Young
P.S. There’s an ancient grain that’s an ABUNDANT source of an anti-cancer compound – one that was shown in one study to help reduce tumor growth by 95%.
To learn more about this Aztec “superfood,” click right here.
