Thursday, August 20, 2015

Melanoma. This is terrible news.

My understanding about melanoma is besides radiation there is no treatment with chemotherapy. The former president is correct there is a gene therapy that can address melanoma. It is terrible cancer.

August 20, 2015
By David Beasley

...Carter entered a news conference (click here) at the nonprofit Carter Center bearing his name in Atlanta walking normally, smiling, and wearing blue jeans.
“I am perfectly at ease with whatever comes,” Carter said, noting his deep Christian faith. He said he was pleased that he did not become angry or despaired. “I am ready for anything and looking forward to a new adventure.” The news that cancer had spread to his brain came a week after he revealed his liver surgery found the disease had spread to other parts of his body. He announced at that time that he was rearranging his schedule to receive treatment at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta, where he previously underwent elective surgery to remove a small mass in his liver. His prognosis was then considered excellent, the Carter Center said in a statement earlier this month....There is a chemotherapeutic drug given in conjunction with gene therapy.

Ganciclovir is actually an anti-viral.It is an interesting therapy. I dearly hope it works. I wish him and his family peace during this trying time.

Hum Gene Ther. 1996 Jan 20;7(2):255-67. Klatsman, D. 

Gene therapy for metastatic malignant melanoma: (click here) evaluation of tolerance to intratumoral injection of cells producing recombinant retroviruses carrying the herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase gene, to be followed by ganciclovir administration....  

The therapy introduces the gene therapy carried by a herpes simplex virus. The Ganciclovir is then administered to end the virus circulation in the blood stream and in tissues. The reason a virus is attached to the gene therapy is because virus is RNA and seeks the DNA of cells to reproduce itself. So, in the case of gene therapy, the virus will introduce the gene attached to it into the cancer cells and disable their ability to replicate and survive.It is incredible medicine. I am so happy it was developed and approved before former President Carter became ill.