4 ms·

There is a new cancer cure every year for more than a decade now but still nothing really substantiates in terms of saving people's lives at scale. This researc

There is a new cancer cure every year for more than a decade now but still nothing really substantiates in terms of saving people's lives at scale. This research is promising but authors of such news should feel morally obligated to also mention realistically how far away in future will be the medicine based on this research given that there are people out there with limited time on their hands who might start getting their hopes up by reading these.

blacksmith_tb 3y ago
It's understandable to be frustrated by our lack of a magic bullet to cure cancer, but unfortunately it's not one disease but a whole range of different diseases. That said, I would offer Checkpoint Inhibitors[1] as an example of a whole new class of meds from recent years that have helped save many, many people. 1: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/immunotherapy/checkpoint-inhibitors https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/immunoth...
Spooky23 3y ago
That’s just not true. Metastatic melanoma was a death sentence as little as 10 years ago. Now, five year survival rates are improving thanks to checkpoint inhibitors and improved radiosurgery.
- DoesntMatter22 3y ago
  Improving how much? Feom what I've seen its still mostly a death sentence
  - Spooky23 3y ago
    With one of the checkmate trials, the median 5 year survival rate for patients taking nivolumab and ipilimumab is 5 years. The patients in this study trended older and had inoperable brain mets. The survival rate previously was something like 9-12 months. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1910836 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1910836
    - starkparker 3y ago
      More recent 3- and 4-year Phase 3 CheckMate metastatic non-small cell lung cancer trial results were also good, if less dramatic. ESMO summary: https://dailyreporter.esmo.org/european-lung-cancer-congress-2023/elcc-2023/long-term-event-free-survival-benefits-of-neoadjuvant-nivolumab-plus-chemotherapy-for-resectable-nsclc https://dailyreporter.esmo.org/european-lung-cancer-congress... 4-year trial PR: https://news.bms.com/news/details/2023/Four-Year-Outcomes-from-Phase-3-CheckMate--9LA-Trial-Show-Durable-Long-Term-Survival-with-Opdivo-nivolumab-Plus-Yervoy-ipilimumab-with-Two-Cycles-of-Chemotherapy-for-Patients-with-Metastatic-Non-Small-Cell-Lung-Cancer/default.aspx https://news.bms.com/news/details/2023/Four-Year-Outcomes-fr... 3-year trial abstract: https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2023.41.16_suppl.8521 https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2023.41.16_suppl.8521
    - DoesntMatter22 3y ago
      Well it still sounds like a death sentence. Just a few your years
Gibbon1 3y ago
I have a friend that was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in 2018. Still alive and healthy.

blacksmith_tb 3y ago

It's understandable to be frustrated by our lack of a magic bullet to cure cancer, but unfortunately it's not one disease but a whole range of different diseases. That said, I would offer Checkpoint Inhibitors[1] as an example of a whole new class of meds from recent years that have helped save many, many people. 1: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/immunotherapy/checkpoint-inhibitors https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/immunoth...

Spooky23 3y ago

That’s just not true. Metastatic melanoma was a death sentence as little as 10 years ago. Now, five year survival rates are improving thanks to checkpoint inhibitors and improved radiosurgery.

DoesntMatter22 3y ago
Improving how much? Feom what I've seen its still mostly a death sentence
- Spooky23 3y ago
  With one of the checkmate trials, the median 5 year survival rate for patients taking nivolumab and ipilimumab is 5 years. The patients in this study trended older and had inoperable brain mets. The survival rate previously was something like 9-12 months. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1910836 https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1910836
  - starkparker 3y ago
    More recent 3- and 4-year Phase 3 CheckMate metastatic non-small cell lung cancer trial results were also good, if less dramatic. ESMO summary: https://dailyreporter.esmo.org/european-lung-cancer-congress-2023/elcc-2023/long-term-event-free-survival-benefits-of-neoadjuvant-nivolumab-plus-chemotherapy-for-resectable-nsclc https://dailyreporter.esmo.org/european-lung-cancer-congress... 4-year trial PR: https://news.bms.com/news/details/2023/Four-Year-Outcomes-from-Phase-3-CheckMate--9LA-Trial-Show-Durable-Long-Term-Survival-with-Opdivo-nivolumab-Plus-Yervoy-ipilimumab-with-Two-Cycles-of-Chemotherapy-for-Patients-with-Metastatic-Non-Small-Cell-Lung-Cancer/default.aspx https://news.bms.com/news/details/2023/Four-Year-Outcomes-fr... 3-year trial abstract: https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2023.41.16_suppl.8521 https://ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JCO.2023.41.16_suppl.8521
  - DoesntMatter22 3y ago
    Well it still sounds like a death sentence. Just a few your years

Gibbon1 3y ago

I have a friend that was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in 2018. Still alive and healthy.