Old and new cancer treatments could join forces

Combining cutting-edge developments with conventional wisdom might be the best approach to treat as many people as possible as effectively as possible when it comes to cancer, according to Stat News.

Treatments based on immunotherapy are gaining increased attention, as some see the gene-based cures as miracle solutions. Of course, the technology is not yet developed to the point of being the end-all, be-all of cancer care. But using the principles learned from immunotherapy cases might be able to be applied to more traditional forms of cancer care such as radiation and chemotherapy.

Using chemotherapy or radiation on tumors could help attract the immune system’s T-cells to the tumor site, where they can then get to work using the body’s own power to destroy that tumor. It’s called turning “cold” tumors “hot.”

Check out Stat to see more about how the two branches of therapies could work together to fight cancer.