New Cancer Treatment Wipes Out Rare Melanoma in Patient

by Ayelen Flores, age 14

A new cancer treatment has recently been approved and has shown positive results in some people. These types of therapies are not guaranteed to help every patient – however, one woman by the name of Toni English was a patient who saw results. The treatment has been able to completely wipe out her cancer.

The Orlando Health Cancer Institute in Florida had a medical team that tried a new cancer treatment on Toni English. In her 60s, English was diagnosed with mucosal melanoma, one of the rarest and deadliest forms of cancer. The melanoma began in English’s left lung and started to grow in other areas within her body. Typical therapies for melanoma can shrink it or keep it under control, but unfortunately, they did not work for English. She tried surgery, radiation, and drugs, but the cancer continued to grow. English lost hope until she talked with her doctor and suggested a new drug to treat her cancer.

The therapy English took is called Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) therapy. During the therapy, scientists remove parts of a patient's tumor surgically. Immune cells called T Cells from the tumor are grown in the lab and then large amounts are infused back into the patient's bloodstream. The T-cells can identify and kill cancer cells, which can sometimes eliminate the disease. Although English does not remember much from her hospital visit, she recalls feeling weak and not being able to sleep. At her 6-month check-up, she was informed that her cancer had vanished. Despite showing promising positive results, most patients’ melanoma returns or does not react to the treatment.

The drug is sold as Amtagvi and is approved to be used against melanoma, but it also shows promising results against other tumors. For example, in one clinic, 21% of patients saw results of tumors shrinking after using the therapy. The approval of this drug in February opened doors to those who have cancer, in which 100 patients signed up for the Amtagvi therapy. One major disadvantage is that TIL therapy carries a high price tag of $515,000.

TIL therapy is continuing to be monitored to point out changes that are needed. Accessibility is also a challenge for those who are not able to afford the treatment. There is more to come with the therapy, but the main goal is improved efficiency and reliability for treating melanoma cancer.

[Source: sciencenews.org]