Friday, March 6, 2015

Strategies in Immunotherapy - Webinar - Save Your Skin





This webinar, also found on www.saveyourskin.ca, published on June 13, 2013, presented by Jedd Wolchok, MD, PhD, delves more into the history of immunotherapy and the research into anti-cancer therapy based on the human immune system.  (see also)

It is interesting, discusses PD-1 Blockers and melanoma in a way that I can understand, though I will go back to it another time to listen again.  

I also need to pursue with my medical oncologist more information about my genetics, ie. am I MEK..? BRAF and NRAS are known, how about the others? 

One very cool question answered near the end of this webinar is about the possible correlation between ipilimumab treatment and side-effects?  The oncologist answering said that yes they do have reason to believe that the side-effects ie. skin rash and intestinal disturbance may mean that the therapy is indeed working.  He said there is no clear definitive answer, but likelihood is that yes, if you have the rash and diarrhea then it is working -  that is very good news for me.  

He also thanked, several times, patients and their families for participating in clinical trials, for they are what allow advances in medicine to be made. 

Otherwise it is pretty dry, medical speak.  If you don't like that then don't think I'm forcing you to watch a 56-minute video.  :-)   I'm just listening while developing my salt-free romano bean hummus recipe.
 

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