Scientists at Sheba medical center in tel Aviv and the Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem has tested a new Protocol for the treatment of melanoma. The results were excellent. More than half of the subjects responded to the new treatment and on the mend.
The Protocol is to use a mixture of two drugs: Opdivo (Nivolumab) and YERVOY (Ipilimumab). Scientists approached the problem from the other side. If before the chemotherapy drugs destroy cancer cells, new drug stimulates the immune system of the patient, that he himself fought against them. This, among other things, ensures minimal side effects and damage to the body.
The change of therapy other cancers
Initially, this study was conducted in the clinic Sloan Ketering in the U.S. by the American Association of cancer research. In it were involved 900 patients at the clinic. In 57% of cases, the sizes of melanoma decreased. In Israel, a new cocktail was treating more than 100 patients with cancer, and the results exceeded all expectations — in 20% of cases in patients with metastases disappeared. Previously, no medicine did not give such results.
Professor Yakov Schechter noted that this way of dealing with cancer best medication to simply help the body to cope with illness, and not cause additional harm. Immune system, like it or not, the most effective protection against disease.
Immunotherapy in the future
About a year in Israel use a new drug — KEYTRUDA (Pembrolizumab) It shows good results in the fight against five types of cancer: lung, skin, intestines. Esophageal and ovarian cancers. In General, it is 15-t types of tumors. In the case of the fight against bowel cancer in 90% of cancerous tumors ceased to grow, in 60% of the metastases and the tumor became smaller. Over the last 30 years, none of the medicine have not shown such wonderful results in curing the intestines.
In the case of skin cancer Pembrolizumab included in first line therapy, relegating chemotherapy. This decision was made in Israel.
Scientists and doctors say that finally there was a breakthrough in the fight against cancer, and in the future this disease will compete activating your own immune system and not spending chemo – or radiation therapy.
