
New cancer treatments have perplexing side effects - stablemap
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/new-cancer-drugs-have-perplexing-side-effects/2018/01/02/9b84fa1e-d909-11e7-a841-2066faf731ef_story.html
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JPLeRouzic
I am not a scientist or a MD but I always thought there was a strange logic in
using immunotherapy against cancer.

Virtually all chemotherapies cause depression of the immune system, and it
makes sense for patients who have an advanced form of cancer, as metastasis
has a lot in common with wound healing [0].

Even NSAIDs are known to slow metastasis.

So in my lay person view I have problems to understand how _increasing_ the
activity of the immune system would help. After all we are not the sum of
isolated unspecialized cells, on contrary the ECM is a biology active area
with lot of signaling.

Maybe someone can shed some light on this question?

[0] The biology of cancer, Weinberg

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bob_theslob646
Until we have the ability to make/tailor drugs to the individual, there will
always be side effects.

Also throw in the fact that curing someone is not nearly as profitable as
treating them. It's the American way!

