More and more cancers treated with immunotherapy

THE news is encouraging: the survival of the people with a disease, cancer is much better in Italy than in the Europe. At five years from diagnosis, is alive, and 63% of women and 54% of men affected by cancer (in Europe, the percentages are respectively equal to 57% and 49%). And we are in first place for the reduction of cancer-related deaths: less by 17.6% in 15 years (from 2001 to 2016). The results achieved also thanks to the therapeutic innovation and the arrival of immuno-oncology, which, for some cancers, in particular, can enhance the response of the immune system.
Four new cases in which it is possible to use immunotherapy And the number of tumors that can be treated with this approach continue to grow: the Italian Drug Agency (AIFA), in fact, has extended the refundability of a drug immunoterapico, pembrolizumab, to four different new cases, recognizing its innovative character: in monotherapy in carcinoma of the urothelium, locally advanced or metastatic pretreated, in Hodgkin’s lymphoma refractory or relapsed after transplant), and in melanoma at the third stage after the surgery (as adjuvant therapy); in combination with chemotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung (where it was already used in monotherapy). the novelty, therefore, regards the tumors are particularly frequent, such as lung and urothelium, or very difficult to treat.