Mayo Clinic Reports Dramatic Outcomes In Prostate Cancer Treatment 122
Zorglub writes "Two prostate cancer patients who had been told their condition was inoperable are now cancer-free as the result of an experimental therapy, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester announced Friday. 'Cancer has a propensity for turning off T cells. Dr. Allison hypothesized that if you block the off-switch, T cells will stay turned on and create a prolonged immune response. Dr. Kwon, then at NIH, demonstrated that CTLA-4 blockage could be used to treat aggressive forms of prostate cancer in mice. There was one limitation to that concept — the worry that by simply leaving all the T cells on there may not be enough response aimed at the tumor. Dr. Kwon called Dr. Allison and designed the trial together. The idea: use androgen ablation or hormone therapy to ignite an immune approach — a pilot light — and then, after a short interval of hormone therapy, introduce an anti-CTLA-4 antibody that acts like gasoline to this pilot light and overwhelms the cancer cells.' After the treatment, the patients' tumors shrunk to such a degree that they could be successfully removed."
Nice analogy (Score:5, Funny)
Fry: Usually on the show, they came up with a complicated plan, then explained it with a simple analogy.
Leela: Hmmm... If we can re-route engine power through the primary weapons and configure them to Melllvar's frequency, that should overload his electro-quantum structure.
Bender: Like putting too much air in a balloon!
Fry: Of course! It's all so simple!
Mayo Clinic is falling behind (Score:5, Funny)
The Miracle Whip Clinic announced a similar breakthrough last year and they did it with much more tang.
Re:Hmmmm (Score:5, Funny)
On the plus side, the contents of all those Hot Pockets, Cheetos, and Twinkies will help preserve my cancer ridden corpse for centuries.
I just hope no joker poses me in an undignified position.
Re:Hmmmm (Score:3, Funny)
You'll need to offer him some guidance on how to properly cite random bullshit pulled directly from the rectum.
Perhaps like this?
"The human immune system is now the weakest in the entire animal kingdom(1)."
1. Dr Bhul Schitt "A Diverse Collection of Utter Nonsense." Published: Oxford, 2007. pp34-38.
Re:Good news... (Score:4, Funny)
Your statement combined with your signature is rather disturbing...