5 Things Patients, Caregivers, and Families Need to Know About Cancer

There is a lot of information out there about cancer – from its causes to its variations, to the best treatment plans. However, it can be difficult for cancer patients, caregivers, and family members of patients to filter what information is beneficial and what should be discarded. Many people are also unaware of the latest advances in cancer treatment, advances that are saving millions of lives worldwide.

To answer some of the top questions about cancer – what it is, how it is caused, what new treatments are available, and what steps people can take to reduce their risk of developing cancer – CRI’s CEO and Director of Scientific Affairs Jill O’Donnell Tormey, PhD, was recently interviewed by Medium/Authority Magazine.

Tormey engaged in a thorough, insightful discussion with board-certified wellness coach Savio Clemente to discuss all things cancer. She also shared her own story of how she became interested in science and how taking the helm of the Cancer Research Institute has allowed her to make a far more significant impact on cancer research and cancer patients.

At the end of the informative interview, Tormey shared her take on the top five things about cancer that people should know about:

• Cancer is not a death sentence. There are cancer survivors who are living decades after receiving their initial diagnosis. Scientific research has made cancer an increasingly chronic and treatable disease that can be managed over time, or even cured.
• Immunotherapy gives millions of cancer patients a transformed treatment experience, with better odds of a higher quality of longer life.
• Immunotherapy uses the body’s immune system to target and fight cancer, rather than using chemicals or radiation to kill cancer cells. Furthermore, the immune system can “remember” past cancer targets, giving the body a natural and viable defense against cancer after treatment has been completed.
• The only way to cure cancer is through research efforts, and donor support for organizations like the Cancer Research Institute is crucial for continued progress and for creating a world immune to cancer.
• Cancer immunotherapy clinical trials can serve both patients who have received and responded well to other types of cancer treatment as well as patients who have exhausted other options. Clinical trials are also crucial for the field’s efforts to engineer advanced, innovative treatments.

The field of cancer research is information-rich and constantly progressing. These five things people should know about cancer are a great starting place for everyone to gain a better understanding of cancer, immunotherapy as a treatment, and the benefits of clinical trials. Armed with this knowledge, we hope others will join us in our quest to create a world immune to cancer.

Read the full interview here.