DEAR MAYO CLINIC: In the past year, several family members have been diagnosed with various types of cancer, including leukemia, melanoma, breast cancer and colon cancer. In talking about treatments, it seems as if there is more available today than in the past. Can you share some of the advances in cancer care? What should I know as far as my risk for cancer?
ANSWER: Although the rate of cancer diagnosis has fallen slightly post-COVID-19, cancer remains a common diagnosis in the U.S., affecting almost 2 million people annually. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cancer remains the leading cause of death in the U.S.
The chronic nature of cancer is one of the reasons why there is so much research happening with countless organizations, including Mayo Clinic, which is always identifying and evaluating new treatment options to improve outcomes and reduce the burden of cancer for patients and their families.
Advancements in cancer therapy are increasing survival rates and offering hope for a cure to more people. We are now treating cancer more precisely and with fewer side effects. Here are five innovative cancer treatments that are changing the landscape of cancer.
CAR-T cell therapy
Chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy (CAR-T) is a relatively new therapy that was first approved in 2017 for the treatment of certain types of lymphoma, leukemia and multiple myeloma. Mayo Clinic was one of the centers that treated people as part of the clinical trial that led to the approval of this treatment.
CAR-T cell therapy uses the power of your immune system to fight your cancer. It involves modifying your immune cells and training them to attack the cancer cells in your body. CAR-T cell therapy is used to treat various conditions including specific types of lymphomas and leukemias, as well as multiple myeloma. With CAR-T cell therapy, about 70% to 80% of people with lymphoma experience…
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