Bon Secours St. Francis is now offering CAR T-cell therapy, a new type of immunotherapy that’s transforming cancer care. This treatment uses genetically engineered versions of a patient’s own immune cells to seek and destroy blood cancers including lymphomas, some leukemias and multiple myeloma.
“Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy are common treatment options for cancer patients, but thankfully, science is constantly evolving and that means new treatments are always being developed,” said Andrew Honeychuck, administrative director of oncology services for Bon Secours St. Francis. “We’re excited to be able to expand the care options available here in the Upstate for our patients, especially because CAR T-cell therapy has been showing promising results for the future.”
CAR T-cell therapy is a newer treatment option that uses substances from your own body to boost the immune system and eliminate cancer. In this case, T-cells – a type of white blood cell that help our body’s immune system defend against foreign invaders. Using this new therapy, a patient’s T-cells are extracted and genetically modified in a lab by adding a protein called chimeric antigen receptor, or CAR. It acts like a navigation system that helps the T-cells track down and kill cancer cells. Once modified, the new T-cells are reinfused into the patient’s body to launch an attack on the disease.
“The great thing about it is how individualized it is. We’re able to modify T-cells so they target the patient’s specific cancer, helping their immune system better recognize and kill those cancer cells.”
This highly specialized, highly personalized therapy can be very helpful in treating some types of cancer, even when other treatments are no longer working. Learn more about this treatment and whether it’s right for you, or about what other oncology treatments are available at the St. Francis Cancer Center.
“Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy are common treatment options for cancer patients, but thankfully, science is constantly evolving and that means new treatments are always being developed,” said Andrew Honeychuck, administrative director of oncology services for Bon Secours St. Francis. “We’re excited to be able to expand the care options available here in the Upstate for our patients, especially because CAR T-cell therapy has been showing promising results for the future.”
CAR T-cell therapy is a newer treatment option that uses substances from your own body to boost the immune system and eliminate cancer. In this case, T-cells – a type of white blood cell that help our body’s immune system defend against foreign invaders. Using this new therapy, a patient’s T-cells are extracted and genetically modified in a lab by adding a protein called chimeric antigen receptor, or CAR. It acts like a navigation system that helps the T-cells track down and kill cancer cells. Once modified, the new T-cells are reinfused into the patient’s body to launch an attack on the disease.
“The great thing about it is how individualized it is. We’re able to modify T-cells so they target the patient’s specific cancer, helping their immune system better recognize and kill those cancer cells.”
This highly specialized, highly personalized therapy can be very helpful in treating some types of cancer, even when other treatments are no longer working. Learn more about this treatment and whether it’s right for you, or about what other oncology treatments are available at the St. Francis Cancer Center.