Researchers Find Way To Trick Immune Cells To Make Radiation More Effective

An estimated 50 percent of all Americans who live to the age of 65 or beyond will face a positive diagnosis of skin cancer at some point in their lifetimes. While many will find that surgical removal of damaged cells is enough to treat the condition, some will be diagnosed with more aggressive or advanced cases of the disease. When that happens radiation may be used to help increase the chances for survival.

Skin cancer treatments with radiation, however, have been sometimes hampered by unique immune cells found in the skin. These cells call Langerhans have the distinct ability to repair damage to their DNA caused by radiotherapy. This, in turn, enables them to become resistant to radiation while even triggering a response that causes tumors, such as melanoma, to become rather resistant to treatment, as well.

Researchers believe they may have found a way to block the effects Langerhans have. Immunotherapy drugs were tested in a trial and proved useful in helping the immune system actually attack tumors. When this occurred, the ability for Langerhans to repair their DNA after treatments was successfully blocked. This caused these cells to effectively die off while also preventing the immune response that protects skin cancer tumors in the first place.

More study into this possible boost for radiotherapy needs to be conducted before it might be available for widespread use in humans. The initial trial focused on mice with melanoma.

Skin cancer in its various forms is one of the most common forms of cancer diagnosed annually in the United States. Melanoma is one of the most aggressive forms of the disease and is diagnosed in about 76,000 people annually in America. It is estimated that one American dies every hour from melanoma.

Everyone is technically at risk for the development of skin cancer. Melanoma specifically is most commonly caused by exposure to the sun. Prevention is possible by using a SPF 15 or higher sunscreen on a daily basis and limiting time in the sun dramatically. The risk for melanoma rises with the number of sunburns a person has experienced in the course of life.

With the risk for skin cancer in its various forms so high everyone is urged to talk with their healthcare providers about this disease and what they can do to prevent it. Early screening and routine screening are often recommended for those at particularly high risk. For those diagnosed with melanoma, radiotherapy may someday soon become a more effective option courtesy of the recent study that shows it’s possible to trick the body into helping fight this disease.

About Author

Southlake Oncology, a Choice Cancer Care Treatment Center, located in the Southlake and Grapevine area, is a community-focused oncology practice that delivers exceptional care to North Texas cancer patients with a variety of cancer diagnoses and blood disorders.