When Norma Vaughn, 79, of Vernon was diagnosed with breast cancer more than ayear ago, the news came like akick to the gut. She thought that her prospects for treatment would include chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery, all of which could have difficult side-effects that she was not looking forward to.
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When Norma Vaughn, 79, of Vernon was diagnosed with breast cancer more than ayear ago, the news came like akick to the gut. She thought that her prospects for treatment would include chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery, all of which could have difficult side-effects that she was not looking forward to.
To her surprise, her oncologist, Dr. Michael Kane, offered other options with far less harsh side-effects.“ Our goals in treating Norma were to try toavoid chemotherapy not only to preserve her quality of life but also to give her something that’ staken orally, soshe doesn’ t have tospend alot of time at the doctor’ soffice,” Kane said.
After an initial try with hormone therapy, Kane recommended another alternative – immunotherapy.
“ He seemed to think it was the thing for me to do, and evidently, it was,” Vaughn said.
Until just two years ago, the best option for beating most types of cancer was surgery, chemotherapy orradiation – ora combination of these. Today, due in parttoresearchers at Atlantic Health System, exciting new drugs are available nationwide.
“ Instead of using chemicalsor radiation, these drugs fight cancer using the body’ s own immune system while another newer method attacks the cancer directly using aunique approach different from chemotherapy," said Kane, MD, Medical DirectorofCommunity Oncology for Atlantic Health System, which includes Atlantic Medical Oncology inPompton Plains. And they’ re very effective.
Kane started Vaughn on a regimen of palbociclib and letrozole, which she takes daily. Aside from some tiredness, Vaughn said she has not experienced any harsh side effects from the medication. The cancer, which had spread to her bones, was shown to have virtually disappeared.“ It was such good news,” Vaughn said. Kane said Norma’ s case demonstrated immunotherapy drugs’ ability to preserve apatient’ squality of life.“ I think what we’ ve done is turn an illness like breast cancer into achronic illness where we have amedicine that someone can take onaregular, ongoing basis,” Kane said.“ I’ m very pleased because Norma’ sbeen able to do almost everything she’ s wanted to do and we haven’ t interfered with that. The fact that she’ s able to take pills makes her mobile.”
“ Immunotherapy helps the body to use its own natural defense system to kill cancer cells.”
Dr. Michael Kane
“ Traditional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation work bykilling cancer cells directly,” says Eric Whitman, MD, medical director of Atlantic Health System’ s Carol G. Simon CancerCenters.“ Immunotherapy helps the body to use its own natural defense system to kill cancer cells. We’ ve been part of this research for along time, and the results for our patients have been impressive.”
When the body finds“ intruders” like bacteria oravirus, the immune system uses special cells to attack them. But cancer is tricky. It has, until now, beenableto hide from these specialattack cells. Immunotherapy uses drugs that help the body recognize cancer cells and then kill them. And because the drugs continue to help the immune system over time, patients might not need further treatment to fight any similar cells that return.
Another important benefit of immunotherapy is that itrarely causes anything like the side effects of traditional treatment, such as nausea, hair loss and fatigue.
Immunotherapy has been most promising for melanoma, a type ofskin cancer. But physicians at Atlantic Health System and elsewhere are finding that, for the first time, immunotherapy drugs are also working for cancers ofthe head and neck, mouth, throat, lung, breast and kidney.
Immunotherapy does not work for every patient or for every type ofcancer. But research continues to determine what can make new drugs or combinations of drugs work better.
Cancer services at Chilton Medical Center are supported by Atlantic Health System, which provides experienced doctors and medical professionals, state-of-the-art technology, promising medical treatments, the newest clinical innovations and compassionate support services, all available toanyone who enters our trusted network of caring. Patients are also offered access to afull spectrum of supportservices for all stages of cancer for the patient, caregivers and family, including patient navigation, social work, nutritional support, genetic counseling and integrative medicine. ❖
For more information about cancer services at Atlantic Health System, visit: atlantichealth. org / cancer or call Atlantic Medical Oncology at 973-831-5025.
CHILTON MAGAZINE WINTER 2016