We are in a new era of medicine, powered in part by the advancements and innovations being made in the field of immuno-oncology or immunotherapy. Rather than killing cancer cells directly with traditional tools like radiation or chemotherapy, immunotherapy seeks to harness the immune system’s power to eliminate the cancer or slow its growth and ability to spread. Research shows immunotherapy is improving outcomes and survival rates for some patients, including kidney, lung cancer and advanced melanoma patients thanks to these new treatment options.
It’s estimated that there will be more than 1.6 million new cancer diagnoses this year, and approximately 600,000 U.S. cancer deaths in 2017. Those statistics make the immuno-oncology pipeline even more important – this work represents a time of remarkable change and advancements in cancer care.