Does a Breakthrough Cancer Treatment Live Up to the Hype?

FEATURING DR. GIUSEPPE GIACCONE – It’s been called the biggest breakthrough in cancer treatment in 25 years. So big that some are even cautiously using the “c” word to describe it: “cure.” I’m talking about immunotherapy, a new way to treat a dreaded disease that is often seen as a potential death sentence for anyone diagnosed. Scientists have been searching for cancer cures for decades and the best we have after years and billions of dollars spent is a combination of frequent scans to detect cancer combined with aggressive chemotherapy and radiation that often leave patients horribly debilitated.

But immunotherapy is a new approach that enables a patient’s own immune system to target cancer cells and kill them. For those who are predisposed to cancer, or already have a diagnosis, the clock is ticking and a cure cannot come fast enough. Several clinical trials of immunotherapy have shown promising results. But one recent high-profile trial of an immunotherapy drug failed. And, not all cancers even respond to the treatment. The question is, have we made a breakthrough in cancer treatment or not?

Dr. Giuseppe Giaccone, Associate Director for Clinical Research at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, and an internationally recognized expert in the field of lung cancer and developmental therapeutics.