Immunotherapy shows promise for clearing residual melanoma cells
Cornell researchers successfully ramped up the body's own immune response to fight melanoma at the tail end of targeted cancer therapy, when tumors commonly become resistant to these therapies and leave behind residual cancer cells that can lead to more disease.
Researchers from Cornell have found that boosting the body's immune system can help eliminate residual melanoma cells after targeted cancer therapy, according to a study published in the journal Cancer Research. This discovery is particularly significant as tumors often become resistant to such therapies during the later stages, leaving behind cancer cells that can lead to more disease.
The researchers suggest that determining the optimal timing for administering immunotherapy could potentially eradicate all residual cancer cells. However, a previous belief that combining oncogene-targeted therapies with immunotherapies simultaneously would yield better results has been disproven, as the combination led to high toxicity without additional efficacy.
The study also highlights the importance of understanding how tumors and their microenvironment evolve over time, which can inform the effectiveness of different cancer treatments.
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