4. Advances in immunotherapy for cancer treatment
Cancer immunotherapy is a process that uses the body’s immune system to fight cancer cells. The body’s natural defenses work to stop cancer cells from spreading or destroy the cancer cells. Immunotherapy is not a new concept, but new advancements in cancer immunotherapy makes it a top innovation for 2019.
New advances in immunotherapy could transform treatment for different cancer types like renal, bladder, melanoma and liver cancers, according to Dr. Hetty Carraway, a doctor at the Taussig Cancer Institute at the Cleveland Clinic.
“This type of therapy really pushes the envelope,” Carraway said.
Instead of the therapy being a “different” kind of therapy, Carraway suggests that it would be considered a joined therapy. Doctors can use the genomic information from cells in the body to determine the right therapy to give to the right patient, customizing treatment.