Chemotherapy and radiation are effective cancer treatments, but can have harsh side effects. But what if we could make cancer treatment less gruelling by harnessing the body’s own power to destroy cancer cells?
It’s the idea driving Canadian Cancer Society (CCS)-funded researcher Dr Guojun Chen, who, with your help to fund breast cancer research and support is developing a lifesaving new treatment for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) – an aggressive and treatment-resistant cancer that often has a poor long-term prognosis.
Immunotherapy, which harnesses the immune system to destroy tumours, has shown some promise as a treatment for TNBC, but only in a small number of patients. By combining a new immune-stimulating therapy called cold atmospheric plasma with immunotherapy, Dr Chen hopes to successfully treat people with TNBC and replicate his previous success in using this combination to treat skin cancer.
“Many amazing accomplishments in cancer research would not be possible without your generous support and continued trust,” says Dr Chen. “Thank you.”