Immunotherapy, What it Means for Cancer Treatments

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For years the go to cancer treatment has been very invasive and often created hardships for patients. Today we are on the fast track of a breakthrough that could redefine typical cancer treatments, one that could and will save thousands who are at risk. According to the Center of Disease Control (CDC), despite great efforts to develop better treatments, more than 7.6 million people worldwide died from cancer alone in 2013, with that number growing each year (CDC 2014). It would be unlikely that there will ever be a single cure for all cancers. It is important to note that the term cancer refers to a broad class of diseases as cancers have many different origins and must be treated differently. Can the immune system be trained to effectively treat or prevent certain cancers? First a look to the past to see where this theory came from to where it is taking us today, a look to the future where vaccines and potential cures could be the medical breakthrough of the century. For years the go to cancer treatment has been very invasive and often created hardships for patients. Today we are on the fast track of a breakthrough that could redefine typical cancer treatments, one that could and will save thousands who are at risk. There is a therapy that instead of involving chemicals, radiation or surgery, one that in essence trains your immune system to recognize cancerous cells and work to attack them. This is known as immunotherapy, while it is still in its infancy, it has been making some great breakthroughs in clinical trials all across the world.
Using the immune system to treat and prevent diseases is not a new concept, before the immune system was fully understood one doctor made some startling observations in the late 1800. William ...

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...atments by using immunotherapy as a treatment.

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