The Medical Advisor

Cancer immunotherapy represents a major paradigm shift in oncology — mobilizing a patient's own immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells, rather than relying solely on surgery, radiation, or cytotoxic chemotherapy. It has emerged as a fourth pillar of effective cancer treatment , offering durable responses and, in select cancers, the potential for long-term remission. Immunotherapy became widely known when former President Jimmy Carter’s medical team used it to treat his metastatic melanoma cancer. When the former president announced in August, 2015 that malignant tumors had been found in both his liver and his brain, most people presumed that he would be dead within months. But just four months later he surprised the world with the news that, following a remarkable and revolutionary new treatment, there was no sign of cancer in his body. The treatment he received was a drug classified as an “immune checkpoint inhibitor”. This class of medications has kicked off a revolut...

Breast cancer remains one of the most challenging and prevalent malignancies worldwide, with metastatic and treatment-resistant cases posing significant therapeutic hurdles. Conventional treatment options, including chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and immunotherapy, often reach their limits, particularly in advanced stages such as triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).  For patients with actionable mutations identified through molecular profiling, targeted therapies are the preferred treatment approach. In particular, for estrogen receptor–positive (ER+) breast cancer patients with a low Oncotype DX recurrence score, hormonal therapy alone is often appropriate, as genomic testing indicates a low risk of cancer recurrence and supports de-escalation of more aggressive systemic treatments. The preference for targeted treatments reflects their demonstrated efficacy in improving outcomes in these molecularly defined subgroups, underscoring the importance of comprehensive genomic profil...