By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    improving patient experience
    6 Ways to Improve Patient Satisfaction Within Hospitals
    December 1, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    What Are The Health Benefits Of Having A Degree?
    March 9, 2022
    custom software development is changing healthcare
    Digital Customer Journey Mapping and its Importance for Healthcare
    July 21, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Can Thinking Younger Make You Live Longer?
    April 20, 2011
    Image
    Obesity’s Outlook Unchanged
    June 13, 2011
    When It’s An Emergency Elderly Not Treated As Well in Hospitals
    July 16, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Fighting Cancer with Cancer
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Technology > Medical Innovations > Fighting Cancer with Cancer
Medical InnovationsTechnology

Fighting Cancer with Cancer

GlennLaffel
Last updated: August 24, 2017 3:03 pm
GlennLaffel
Share
3 Min Read
SHARE

The pathophysiology of cancer involves uncontrolled cellular proliferation–that we know–but the process doesn’t go on forever. After reaching a certain size, tumors do stop growing. This phenomenon is probably driven by growth-inhibiting chemicals that are released by tumor cells themselves.

Scientists are now trying to harness this phenomenon using a decidedly counterintuitive strategy: introducing cancer cells into the bodies of mammals–including humans–that are already afflicted with cancer. The strategy amounts to fighting cancer with cancer. Remarkably, early results from studies of the technique have been positive.

The technique was developed by Barry Smith and colleagues at the Rogosin Institute, an independent treatment and research center in New York. Smith’s group creates pea-sized beads of mouse kidney cancer cells that are encapsulated in a growth-restricting shell.

More Read

Red Tape and Telehealth for Cost Savings
Consumers to Battle the Healthcare Gods
Five of the Coolest “Bots” in Medicine [INFOGRAPHIC]
Playing for Better Health with BioGaming
Crowdsourcing Citizen Superheroes

Initially, the beads contain about 150,000 cancer cells. During an incubation period however, all but 1% of those cells die, according to Smith. The remaining ones secrete proteins or peptides that inhibit tumor growth. Some of the chemicals promote cell death directly; others impair a cell’s ability to stimulate new blood vessel formation which is needed for cellular survival.

“They reach a stable state in which there is cell division and cell death,” Smith said in an interview. “They are producing inhibitory factors that regulate their growth.”

Once the encapsulated concoction is “mature” in this way, Smith’s group implants the beads into the abdominal cavities of cancer patients.

In a pair of studies released last week in Cancer Research, Smith’s group reported that their treatment reduced tumor size in laboratory mice, dogs and cats. Many cancer-stricken animals survived longer than expected.

Smith’s team observed that mice who received the beads had tumors that were 30-60% smaller than untreated mice. In subsequent experiments with dogs and cats, the bead treatments were associated with survival rates that were longer than expected. A cohort of 11 dogs with prostate cancer experienced a median survival of 177 days, for example. They had been expected to survive less than 50 days. In some cases, the tumors disappeared almost completely. These studies did not feature a control group however, and it is far from clear that the findings will be reproduced in humans.

Smith’s group has indeed carried out an initial study in which 30 human patients received the beads. The study revealed the beads to be safe: there were no adverse effects in patients receiving the treatment. Now, a phase two trial is underway in patients with advanced cancers of the prostate, pancreas and colon.

The medical literature is filled with experimental cancer treatments that worked in animals, but flamed-out in human trials. Hopefully that won’t happen with Smith’s cancer beads.

TAGGED:cancermedical innovations
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Health
May 15, 2025
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction heart treatment
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction
Cardiology
May 13, 2025

You Might also Like

pricewaterhousecooper privacy healthcare
BusinesseHealthMobile HealthPolicy & LawTechnology

Mobile Health and Data Safety: Convenience vs. Privacy

May 14, 2015

Medtronic’s Doctor Centered Approach Helps Patients, Too

August 17, 2012
BusinessMedical InnovationsTechnology

Excelimmune Optimizes the Natural Power of the Immune System

December 20, 2011
Technology

High Tech Gadgets for the Elderly

May 31, 2018
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?