Earlier this week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Keytruda, an immunotherapy drug that stimulates the body's immune system to fight off metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer. This drug could be the first thing a cancer patient receives instead of chemotherapy. It could also be used along with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery. Immunotherapy makes your immune system attack cancer or anything foreign. One of the most famous recipients of immunotherapy is former president Jimmy Carter, who has taken Keytruda. Immunotherapy has many forms of treatment options: injection, pill or capsule, topical ointment or cream, or a catheter. However, this option of cancer treatment does not come cheap. The treatments could cost up to $1 million per patient. There are also severe side effects like flu-like symptoms, heart palpitations, and skin reactions. On a lighter note, there are also other types of immunotherapy drugs that work on fighting other cancers.
What do you think of certain types of drugs fighting cancer with needing chemo or radiation?
If you had the option, would you use immunotherapy instead of chemotherapy or radiation? Why?
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I think that the drugs used for immunotherapy will revolutionize the fight against cancer because you wouldn't have to spend a lot of time and money on other treatments like chemo or radiation because you wouldn't need to go to a certain place for the other therapies and you won't have to stay away from people as much.
If I had the option, I would use immunotherapy instead of chemo or radiation because I would not want the side effects of chemo and too much radiation could cause a different type of cancer. Also you can receive immunotherapy along with chemo or radiation if plain immunotherapy doesn't work, which should help speed up the process of killing the cancer.
Replies
Well done Abby!
I think it will spark more treatment options in treating cancer which is a good thing. I also could see why people would be very cautious considering all the side affects.
I would personally because considering the fact that I Know what chemotherapy can do to a person is hard for me to do.
This could lead to other option for treating cancer. Immunotherapy is currently being developed for all cancers to either cure or hold at bay. I would also be cautious because everything has side effects, but I would also use this method.
I think that this is an amazing thing and a better alternative than chemo. I would most likely choose the other option other than chemo, I've known people who have gone through chemo and it destroys them so much and some dont even have the strength to continue afterwards, this option seems easier and quicker and less suffering.
I agree that this option could be better than chemo because some people can't cope with what chemo does to them. I believe, from what I've read, that this is supposed to be an easier and less painful solution.
I think whatever helps the most is very ideal to me and I think its awesome that people continually try their best to find other ways to treat cancers and diseases. I would try anything that could possibly make me matter and Im not too picky of what it would be.
Yes, people working their hardest to better the community is always appreciated. It's good that you would be open to trying something relatively new because not everyone is.
I think that this option is great, you wouldn't have to spend time doing chemo or with radiation. if I had the option I would go with the immunotherapy drug.
I agree. While there would still be the cost, the new pills or injections will definitely cut back on time. I would also do immunotherapy for these reasons along with the fact that it won't change my outward appearance.