Ignite the Cancer Conversation

The following article contains excerpts from the March 28, 2016, Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier article, “Igniting a conversation and uniting to end cancer” and an April 8, 2016 Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier article both written by Christinia Crippes and a summary from Dr. Barbara Christie-Pope, Professor, Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, IA

On Thursday, April 7 at the Park Place, more than 200 people, which included medical professionals, advocates, legislators, cancer survivors, and other community members, gathered to hear the latest revolutions in cancer treatments, how Iowa is affected by cancer, and what we can do to end this disease. It was “Igniting” the cancer conversation for the Cedar Valley.

Revolution in cancer treatments discussed
Twenty-five years ago a nationally renowned cancer expert told George Weiner, MD there was little future in cancer treatments using a particular kind of immunology from cloned antibodies. But Weiner stuck with it. Now, as director of the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Iowa, he is at the forefront of finding targeted ways to treat a variety of cancers.

Weiner and Keith Knutson, a professor of immunology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, discussed the latest in cancer research at the Ignite the Cancer Conversation event “There’s going to be a revolution. We’re going to see lots of activity over the next couple of decades, and we’re going to see some tremendous cures, some tremendous activity from a lot of new drugs,” Knutson said. Weiner stressed the multiple ways research has advanced over the last 25 years on monoclonal antibodies to both target cancer cells and boost the impact of cancer-fighting cells.

“We’re learning more. Almost weekly a new paper is coming out, a new study, helping us understand how this can work, how to combine it with other treatments … and we’re just on the cusp of a real revolution of learning how to use these checkpoint blockade antibodies,” Weiner said. He said those antibodies will help doctors find and remove the “invisibility cloak” on certain cancer cells.

Knutson talked about progress, particularly when it comes to vaccines to prevent the recurrence of breast cancer. “What we know is that the immune system is exceedingly powerful, and now we can negotiate through all of the fine detail of the immune system in order to get it to act how we want it to act, specifically against the cancer,” Knutson said.

He said work has begun on vaccines to prevent cancers in at-risk people before they form. Knutson said clinical trials suggest cancer can be prevented, but vaccines must be improved to be effective. The researchers stressed their work wouldn’t be possible without lots of outside support. Christine Carpenter, an advocate with the local Beyond Pink TEAM, made the case for the importance of being a voice to prevent and end cancer. “Cancer is a political issue. Policymakers determine almost every aspect of cancer, such as funding for cancer research, access to quality care and regulations affecting the health care systems. That is why advocacy is so important,” Carpenter said. Carpenter’s sentiment was echoed by U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. Speaking via video, he stressed advocates can make a difference by getting politicians to act.

Cancer Incidence in Iowa
“Did you know Iowa has higher rates of cancer among nearly all groups compared to the United States average?” states Catherine Zeman, University of Northern Iowa professor of health, physical education and leisure services . Zeman, whose focus is in environmental health, notes the higher rates of cancer among nearly all groups compared to the United States average.  She said there’s not a “hard and fast, clear-cut culprit” for Iowa’s higher rates, but she has several possible reasons. “When you look at some of these environmental health concerns, it’s not just going to be one thing sometimes that you are able to point your finger, and there’s some really good reasons for that, because cancer, for example, is a very complex phenomenon,” Zeman said.

She commented people may have a genetic predisposition to getting certain cancers. That’s layered with a person’s environment and what they’re exposed to. That’s further layered by the choices people make, such as drinking too much or smoking. Zeman said the agriculture-heavy Iowa may also be more prone to the disease due to the use of pesticides and herbicides in the state, some of which are shown to cause cancer. Another factor is the rural state, where many people have their own private water wells that are not regulated and may be high in heavy metals, particularly arsenic.

What is in the future?
The most common cause of death due to breast cancer is recurrence or metastatic disease. Keith Knutson, PhD, Professor of Immunology at the Mayo Clinic and George Weiner, MD, Director of the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Iowa, are hoping to change that dismal statistic by harnessing the power of the human immune system. Drs. Knutson and Weiner discussed how the immune system works to identify a rogue, cancerous cell and what can be done to enhance that recognition and eventual destruction of that cell thereby preventing metastasis.

Similar to immunizations against infectious agents, the immune system can be primed to respond quickly to a cancerous cell before it has the opportunity to establish a metastatic tumor. This memory of cancer induces lifelong protection. Current research is focusing on activating white blood cells called lymphocytes to either kill the cancer cell directly or cause the production of antibodies that target the cancer cell and allow other components of the immune system to destroy the cell.

In addition, Drs. Knutson and Weiner are also focusing on halting regulators that dampen down the immune response to cancerous cells and how these cells are able to escape the response of the immune system. This two-fold front, therapeutic vaccines to prevent metastasis and control over the regulation of immune cells, offer tremendous hope for treatment.

How can you help?
Become knowledgeable. Be an advocate – talk to your congressman.
Respond by calling or emailing Congress when an action alert is sent by Beyond Pink TEAM, American Cancer So “Like” Facebook and Twitter groups – Ignite the Cancer Conversation, Iowa Breast Cancer Deadline 2020 Action Network and Beyond Pink TEAM, American Cancer Society, Pancreatic Action Network, etc. to get the latest updates and news. Stay involved.


​

Read Full Newsletter