Cancer has long been known as a disease with no cure, but Spectrum Health Cancer Center is giving patients every fighting chance they can. Along with being the only cancer center in West Michigan to offer adult blood and marrow transplant (BMT), it's the only center in the region to provide CAR T-cell therapy. Dr. Stephanie Williams stopped by to share more on these amazing efforts.
CAR T-cell therapy uses the body’s own immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells with minimal damage to healthy cells. It’s considered immunotherapy, which has been called the “fifth pillar” of cancer treatment, alongside surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and targeted therapy.
Immunotherapy uses the patients’ own white blood cells to combat the cancer cells in the body, and the results for this treatment have proved so positive that the FDA rapidly approved it for use on children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and adults with advanced lymphomas. Spectrum Health will start treating patients this month.
For more information on Spectrum Health Cancer Center, visit www.spectrumhealth.org.
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