[News] Excitement at new cancer treatment

[symyjym]

A therapy that retrains the body's immune system to fight cancer has provoked excitement after more than 90% of terminally ill patients reportedly went into remission.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-35586834

 

[Triggaaar]

Yeah I heard this on the radio a couple of months ago, they were working on it in Texas I think. Still a long way to go, but it's always nice to hear of progress.

 

[halbpro]

Always be suspicious of scientific studies that haven't been reviewed yet. Hell, it's not even a published study yet. It has the potential to be a solid step in the right direction, but even the BBC article urges caution, which is surprising for a media report of a study.

 

[symyjym]

Always be suspicious of scientific studies that haven't been reviewed yet. Hell, it's not even a published study yet. It has the potential to be a solid step in the right direction, but even the BBC article urges caution, which is surprising for a media report of a study.

I thought that all breakthroughs urged caution. What stands out though, is the 90% success rate in the trials which is still quite remarkable. It is still 2 years away if it is really what it says it is.

 

[halbpro]

I thought that all breakthroughs urged caution. What stands out though, is the 90% success rate in the trials which is still quite remarkable. It is still 2 years away if it is really what it says it is.

90% success is great, 2 deaths is not (although that's present as a raw figure, not a percentage so the mortality rate of the treatment in current form is impossible to ascertain).

And yes, medical breakthroughs are normally more cautious. General science and technology reporting really isn't.

 

[symyjym]

90% success is great, 2 deaths is not (although that's present as a raw figure, not a percentage so the mortality rate of the treatment in current form is impossible to ascertain).

And yes, medical breakthroughs are normally more cautious. General science and technology reporting really isn't.

Fair comment.

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

A therapy that retrains the body's immune system to fight cancer has provoked excitement after more than 90% of terminally ill patients reportedly went into remission.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-35586834

A cancer, some sort of leukaemia. Nothing about whether they are acute or chronic patients (this may effect the definition of remission) or the numbers involved although it's at least nine (see below).

From the article:

"But one cancer expert told me they still felt in the dark on the full significance of the study, as the data is not available.

Also seven of the patients developed cytokine release syndrome so severe that they required intensive care, and a further two patients died.

While those odds may be acceptable if facing terminal cancer, the side-effects are much greater than conventional leukaemia treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which work in the majority of patients."

Wonderful stuff then. Two dead and seven in ICU with severe cytokine release - anyone remember Northwick Park? That was ten years ago.

 

[symyjym]

A cancer, some sort of leukaemia. Nothing about whether they are acute or chronic patients (this may effect the definition of remission) or the numbers involved although it's at least nine (see below).

From the article:

"But one cancer expert told me they still felt in the dark on the full significance of the study, as the data is not available.

Also seven of the patients developed cytokine release syndrome so severe that they required intensive care, and a further two patients died.

While those odds may be acceptable if facing terminal cancer, the side-effects are much greater than conventional leukaemia treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which work in the majority of patients."

Wonderful stuff then. Two dead and seven in ICU with severe cytokine release - anyone remember Northwick Park? That was ten years ago.

No I don't remember Northwick Park. What happened?

 

[Del Fenner]

No I don't remember Northwick Park. What happened?

Someone left the cake out in the rain?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

A therapy that retrains the body's immune system to fight cancer has provoked excitement after more than 90% of terminally ill patients reportedly went into remission.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-35586834

Potentially fantastic game-changing news for mankind - just so long as the patent can be kept out of the hands of this kind of smug grasping c*nt...

 

[Uter]

Bit more from Sky news here:

http://news.sky.com/story/1642626/extraordinary-cancer-breakthrough-revealed

I suspect these are two of the clinical trials from which the story has emerged:

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show...+hutchinson+leukemia+t-cells&recr=Open&rank=3

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show...+hutchinson+leukemia+t-cells&recr=Open&rank=6

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

No I don't remember Northwick Park. What happened?

The Wiki entry's not bad, scroll down to the Clinical Trials section.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TGN1412

 

[Simster]

Potentially fantastic game-changing news for mankind - just so long as the patent can be kept out of the hands of this kind of smug grasping c*nt...

It's amazing isn't it. Even before he opens his mouth, you know you just want to punch him in the face. Absolute scum.

 

[pcol]

Lot of trials using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapy at the moment. Potentially very promising.

Here's another example closer to home

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34731498

 

[symyjym]

Lot of trials using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapy at the moment. Potentially very promising.

Here's another example closer to home

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-34731498

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy is brutal to the body and needs to become history.

 

[TheJasperCo]

Always be suspicious of scientific studies that haven't been reviewed yet. Hell, it's not even a published study yet. It has the potential to be a solid step in the right direction, but even the BBC article urges caution, which is surprising for a media report of a study.

You are right, although the results (preliminary as they are) were presented in a well-respected annual conference in the States. It's often the case that provisional data are released at these meetings, but the press releases are obviously doing the rounds because of the apparent success rate in this trial.

One of the key things to scrutinise is the team's use of appropriate controls which which to ensure valid and significant results.

This comes the day after it was announced that a cheap diagnostic machine could help detect tumour DNA circulating in the blood or even saliva. We're entering a new era in cancer diagnostics and therapy, and it's long overdue.

 

[cjd]

Someone left the cake out in the rain?

Why you utter cretins from Crystal Palace are allowed to post on our Forums by our moderators, is completely beyond my comprehension.

For your information the poster who first mentioned Northwick Park on the thread has battled cancer for a long period of time. He is also a great source of information regarding cancer treatment.

To add to this, he is also a massive support to cancer sufferers on this forum.

Lastly, I suggest you read up on the disastrous clinical trials held at Northwick Parkin 2006 before you make crass remarks.

 

[Lush]

Beware of statistics. Recovery rates for carefully identified groups of patients are likely to increase, as genetic and molecular profiling identifies more precisely what kind of cancer you have, so you can get a more tailored treatment.

This won't be about a miracle cure for all.

 

[Dodgy seagull]

Bit late replying as was out then following the game. I have been following this story today and looking at various reports on it. Although very early days it does look like there is something in this which MAY lead to further developments.

I am seeing my haematologist tomorrow so will ask him about it as I know he has an interest in new treatments and we have discussed a number of the various new drugs and the therapies being trialled at the moment.

 

[Coxovi]

I know this type of treatment as my old company was/is deeply involved. Hard to describe what it is like when a 20 something brilliant introvert wells up when explaining to you how they stopped a trial because they could not defend giving the control group a placebo when they are dying (such treatments are only trailed on terminal patients).

This being said this was a couple years back and still such treatments are not approved yet, so there must be something that still needs to be understood. As mentioned above if some patients are harmed or killed.