In the United States alone, cancer takes the lives of over 1,500 innocuous people each day. Treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation have been the primary methods of ridding patients of cancer -- until now. These approaches of the past may in fact be curing cancer, but they also do more harm to the body of the patient than necessary: including horrible and fatiguing side effects such as attention and memory issues, bone and tissue pain, infertility in women, and heart and lung issues. Due to the fact that these toxic treatment styles are unable to recognize the good cells from the bad, they also damage the body’s healthy cells while purging the cancer cells, often leaving the patient very weak and sick. Cancer is a disease which negatively transforms the lives of innocent people everyday. As more advancements are being made in the cancer research field, such as precision medicine, immunotherapy, and holistic cures, a definite, encouraging cure for cancer is on the rise. 

2015 was one of the most fruitful years in terms of advancements in the cancer research community. Thanks to Joe Biden, who helped support and passed a bill increasing government cancer research funds, over 2 million dollars were raised for the sole purpose of cancer research. Although new ideas and findings are made every day in the medical field, it is theorized that researchers have only scratched the surface of what can be found in this subject. By having the support of several politicians in raising money towards cancer research, so many more experiments and studies can be performed. The raised allowance towards the research funding has already brought about several new techniques and methods which are having positive, lasting outcomes. If this amount of support and dedication continues, a cure for cancer should be seen sooner in the future than expected. 

One of these new, promising treatments is the process called immunotherapy. Because of the fact that cancer cells are normal body cells which have mutated into these dangerous, rapidly- dividing cells, the healthy cells, also known as white blood cells, are unable to fight off the cancer cells simply because they still recognize these cells as one of its kind (“Immunotherapy Procedures…”).  Fortunately, researchers have discovered a method which assists the fighting cells in recognizing the cancerous cells. This miraculous discovery is known as immunotherapy. This type of treatment will engage the immune system in a way that allows it to eradicate tumor cells like an infection, allowing the immune system to locate the cancer cells and fight them off faster (Muller, Prendergast). Scientists have discovered the exact way in which this “system” of immunotherapy works within the bodies of cancer patients. When a tumor cells grows, it requires a blood supply for progression and signals the recruitment of the immune cells that produce T-cells and macrophages. Once the T-cells are recognized by the immune system, they are used to assist in the purging of the cancer cells (Muller, Prendergast). The process works by recognizing the tumor cells innate immune cells and their limited killing. The difference between this form of treatment and other forms that are more common in today’s medical field, such as chemotherapy and radiation, is that immunotherapy solely focuses on killing the cancer cells and not the beneficial, healthy cells. It also causes much less damage to the patient. 

There are several types of immunotherapy within the treatment itself. Immune Checkpoint Modulators are ways that block certain proteins called immune checkpoint proteins in order to limit the duration and strength of immune responses (“Immunotherapy: Using…”). These regulators maintain the strength of the immune system by balancing out the levels of its response in order to prevent the damaging of normal cells. By blocking the activity of these proteins, or using the “brakes” on the immune system, which leads to an increased ability to destroy the cancer cells (“Immunotherapy: Using…”).  Another specific type of immunotherapy is called Immune Cell Therapy. These treatment is mainly targeted towards patients with types of blood cancer. This particular method works by removing TIL’s, or Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes, from samples of the tumor, then they are activated with a treatment using immune system signaling proteins that warn the body that it is time to fight (“Immunotherapy: Using…”).  These T cells are reinserted back into the patient’s body and can quickly shrink or destroy tumors. Another form of treatment very similar to this is called CAR T- cell therapy, which is when T cells are still removed from the tumor, but then they are genetically modified in a way that they express a protein called chimeric antigen receptor, or CAR (“Immunotherapy: Using…”).  Once the cells are grown and mass- produced in the lab, they are infused into the patient’s blood and the protein will attach to the surface of the cancer cell and attack. The last of the immunotherapy methods is referred to as Therapeutic Antibodies. These are also made in the laboratory and are designed for the basic destruction of cancer cells.  They are composed of toxins such as bacterial toxins, small- molecule drugs, or radioactive compounds. These antibodies can bind to target molecules on the cancer cell and destroy it (“Immunotherapy…”). 

Although this method of treatment seems very challenging and unbelievable, there are so many stories which demonstrate the success of the method. One triumphant, emotional success story is that of Milton Wright. Milton Wright is a 20-year-old who had already battled with leukemia twice during his childhood, and right when he least expected it, the disease returned (Collins).  He had heard that it was almost unheard of for someone who is battling their third round of leukemia to survive, but instead he was assigned to a new clinical trial which was a type of immunotherapy. His doctors used the CAR T- cell therapy specific method. Once the redesigned cells were entered back into his bloodstream, the cancer was gone completely within 3 weeks of receiving them (Collins). 

The positive outcomes of immunotherapy would be the fact that it could lengthen the remission periods of cancer patients by ensuring the remove all of the cancer, unlike chemotherapy. It could also enhance the efficiency of other anticancer agents, meaning that it would assist other drugs in curing cancer. This would reduce the amount of time which the patient’s body be required to host and battle with the cancer disease, causing less harm and pain to the patient (Muller, Prendergast). 

Another treatment style which is on the rise in the cancer field is called Precision Medicine. Because of the recent advancements in cancer genomics, researchers and doctors are now able to characterize a patients’ cancer by searching for mutations and other types of abnormalities. Instead of primarily focusing on the actual cancer, this method is based upon the molecular changes which are identified (“Advancing…”). Doctors study the DNA sequence of the disease and analyze the tumors to find genetic alterations (“Impact…”).  Dr. Lorna Rodrigues refers to Precision Medicine as “a better bulls- eye” because of its ability to help locate the exact genetic abnormalities which the cancer is causing (“What is…”).  Although this type of treatment seems much more complex and difficult to follow through with and create, it was a very necessary and valuable finding. Because some cancer treatments do not effect and treat all types of cancer, or even all patients with the same cancer, equally, this precise, patient- based, method is allowing doctors to expand upon their studies. In specific cases of very rare cancers, this accurate treatment is sometimes the only hope for a cure. In the past few years, researchers have learned that single- organ cancers such as breast and lung cancer are not just one disease (“What is…”).  They are rather a “collection of distinct diseases with varying responses to different treatment strategies” (“What is…”) . That being said, precision method is the method which gives the opportunity to cure these types of diseases. Doctors begin the precision treatment by studying the genomics of the patient, then using these finding to find the best medicine the best targets the exact mutation (“What is…”). This sudden increase in the use and practice of studying genomic is the reason that genomics plays a huge role in the near future cancer advancements (Benz). Many cancer specialists believe that because of this, precision treatments will soon become central to the future of cancer care (“Five…”). 

There are already hundreds of people who were treated with precision medicine who live to tell their stories of success. Emily Whitehead was six years old when doctors used precision medicine to better detect and treat her leukemia. T-cells were used to recognize a protein found only on the surface of leukemia cells. These cells were then injected into her bloodstream and she was cured (“Precision Medicine…”).  Another case is Melanie Nix who had an unescapable chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer since it was in her family history. Unfortunately, she did test positive for the gene mutation which are linked to breast cancer, but with the use of precision medicine, her cancer was targeted and treated (“Precision Medicine…”).  Beatrice Rienhoff is a rarer case of s precision medicine subject. She was unable to gain weight, her eyes were spaced wider than usual, and her leg muscles were weak. After six years of research, doctors were able to use precision medicine to diagnose her with a very rare, uncommon disease which had yet to be discovered. Her disease was cured and precision medicine is currently being used to learn more about this new disease (“Precision Medicine…”). 

The last treatment style for cancer that is on the rise is holistic cures. Although they are not as commonly used as other form of treatment, they still have proven themselves to be just as useful and effective. Unfortunately, one of the reasons which this method is not as common is probably because it does not bring near as much into the economy as other options such as chemotherapy or immunotherapy. There are several different methods of treating cancer the natural way. One of them is referred to as Gerson Therapy. This process consists of eating only organic fruits and vegetables each day, actually fifteen to twenty pounds of these organic foods each da (“10 Natural…”).  The next practice is that called the Budwig Protocol, named after its founder, Dr. Johanna Budwig. This remedy consists of mixing organic cottage cheese, ground flax or chia, and flaxseed oil together and blending. This mixture has proven to have a ninety percent success rate for counteracting cancer- causing processes (“10 Natural…”).  Another natural cancer treatment discovered is known as the Pancreatic Protolytic Enzyme Approach. This was discovered by Dr. Francis Pottenger who found that patients with certain types of cancer should maintain a consistent, specific diet depending on which area of their body has been invaded by cancer cells. This process has also shown to have a positive effect on the patients which choose to use it (“10 Natural…”). 

As unlikely as it sounds, there have been several people which have been healed by these natural, less expensive cancer cures. A woman tells her story of her mother who fought breast cancer by receiving a double mastectomy, several rounds of chemotherapy, and battled the horrible side effects that come after chemotherapy. She was diagnosed cancer free, but was unfortunately given the news that the cancer had returned about nine years later. She decided to rely upon natural cures such as vegetable juicing, probiotic foods, immune- boosting supplements, stress- reducing techniques, and prayer. These natural processes not only shrunk the tumors, but also left her cancer free for ten years, and still to this day (10 Natural).  These methods should not be looked over and should certainly be taken seriously

The only counterargument which can be stated against the validity and successful of these new methods is that of the presence of the government. Many people think that a cancer cure has already been found, but that the government is hiding it due to the overwhelmingly large amount of income which it brings our country and the rest of the world. If this theory is true, it would certainly not be the medical researchers whom are holding back, it would be the government. Although it is possible that there could be a cure, it is unlikely that it could be hidden due to the amount of people who devote their lives to this subject and how widespread the subject is. 

These new and more advanced treatments are arguably one of the most important talked about topics in the world. Although cancer can not ultimately be prevented from occurring, it can be alleviated more easily by using the new, less harmful but more effective treatments. We should expect to see the widespread use of these methods in the very near future, which will change the way that not only America, but the entire world, views cancer. It will no longer be seen as an inevitable fight until death; rather just a small obstacle along the path of life. A world that does not have to constantly be driven by the diagnoses and deaths caused by the same disease would be a happier and more productive world. A disease which was thought to mean certain death at one point in time is slowly becoming more easily defeated one day at a time. If the world is able to find a cure for a disease that has been battled with for so many years, imagine the number of other diseases and medical issues that could also be solved using the skills and research that was gained from the cancer investigation. Technology is becoming more advanced and the researchers are learning more about ways to destroy the harmful diseases and restore the body. 

There are several ways for every single person to help in the fight against cancer, no matter their position in the workforce, age, or where they stand in the battle against cancer. One way to help work towards finding these cures is by word of mouth. When news and ideas about a cancer cure are discussed among groups of people, it starts a fire within some and leads to great things. Whether it causes someone to choose to focus their entire life on the subject by becoming an oncologist, or if it leads the person to simply have the desire to learn more about treatments. 
