5 cancer breakthroughs in 2023
5 innovative treatments that are transforming the treatment landscape and improving patient outcomes
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Over the last decade, we have seen cancer treatment options extend to a wide arsenal of treatment modalities, from surgery to chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, among many others.
Conventional treatment such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy remain the standard of treatment for many cancers. However, the emergence of new cancer drugs and advances in cancer treatment techniques are transforming the treatment landscape and improving patient outcomes.
Here are 5 of these new cancer treatment advances that we are seeing in 2023:
What it means for cancer patients
These advances have so far shown promising results in the treatment of many cancers. Eligible patients can benefit from more precise treatments that are lower in toxicity and less invasive, leading to better survival rates, reduced side effects, and overall treatment outcomes.
As many of these treatment advances are relatively new, there remain some challenges and research gaps to consider. Firstly, cancer cells may bypass treatment mechanisms and become resistant to treatment. Secondly, not enough research is going into rare cancers, which often fall under the radar of pharmaceuticals due to low returns on investment.
Nevertheless, these revolutionary advances offer cancer patients new, personalised treatment options that they can benefit from presently and in the future.
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Source credit:
Dr Richard Quek, Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology
References:
1https://www.cancerhealth.com/article/enhertu-improves-survival-women-her2positive-breast-cancer
2https://www.mdanderson.org/newsroom/neoadjuvant-immunotherapy-improves-outlook-in-high-risk-melanoma.h00-159542901.html
3https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2202170
4https://www.merck.com/news/moderna-and-merck-announce-mrna-4157-v940-an-investigational-individualized-neoantigen-therapy-in-combination-with-keytruda-pembrolizumab-demonstrated-superior-recurrence-free-survival-in/
5http://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/new-therapy-for-leukaemia-among-children-kymriah-blood-cancer-217446
6https://ashpublications.org/bloodadvances/article/4/21/5414/
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