5 Ways Cancer is Dramatically Different Than it was 5 Years Ago Dr. Joe Zundell
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Intro (00:00:00)
- Dr. Joe Zundell discusses the evolution of cancer research and treatment, focusing on changes in the last five to seven years.
Immunotherapy (00:01:04)
- Immunotherapy involves developing antibodies that enable the immune system to selectively target and kill cancer cells.
- Thrive Market is an online membership-based grocery store offering a 30% discount and a $60 free gift with a special link.
- Dr. Zundell has created low-carb keto truffles and nut butters sweetened with allulose, available on Thrive Market.
Radiotherapy (00:02:15)
- Advancements in radiotherapy include using nuclear medicine and antibodies to make radiation more targeted in killing cancer cells.
- Immunotherapy and radiotherapy are promising areas of technological advancement in cancer treatment.
- The human body produces antibodies to deal with tissue damage and pathogens.
- Immunotherapy utilizes antibodies, chemically modified to target cancer antigens on cancer cell surfaces.
- Engineered antibodies bring immune cells, such as T cells, into proximity to cancer cells, enabling the immune cells to kill the cancer cells.
- Improved understanding of the immune system and cancer cell interactions has led to more effective immunotherapy approaches.
- Scientists can now engineer antibodies with higher affinity and specificity for cancer antigens.
- Combination therapies, combining immunotherapy with other treatments like chemotherapy or targeted therapy, have shown promising results.
- Immunotherapy has shown success in treating various cancers, including melanoma, lung cancer, and leukemia.
Dosing & Efficacy (00:04:11)
- Immunotherapy can cause cytokine release syndrome (CRS), where immune cells overactivate and damage healthy tissue.
- Immunotherapy is sometimes combined with chemotherapy to target different types of cancer cells in a solid tumor.
- Cancer metastasis is now considered a new disease due to specific characteristics that allow it to spread to different organs.
- Treatment options for metastatic cancer are different and more complex compared to earlier stages.
- Immunotherapy drugs like EGFR inhibitors have shown effectiveness in treating certain types of cancer, such as lung cancer.
- The choice of cancer treatment depends on the stage and location of the cancer, as well as the patient's quality of life.
- The risk of inducing metastasis by cutting open a tumor is very low.
- The most promising area of cancer research is immunotherapy, which involves enhancing the body's immune system to fight cancer.
Better Understanding of Cancer Cell Metabolism (00:16:26)
- Cancer cells have a slower metabolism than previously believed, despite the Warburg effect in glycolysis.
- Cancer cells increase glycolysis rates to enter other metabolic pathways, prioritizing cell growth over energy production.
- This adaptation allows cancer cells to compete with healthy cells for resources, complicating treatment decisions.
- The slower citric acid cycle rates in cancer cells may affect the effectiveness of small molecule inhibitors targeting glutaminase.
- The demand-driven aspect of cancer cell metabolism is being studied, including the effects of exercise and dietary interventions.
- Epigenetic therapies and metabolic interventions are being explored to alter cancer cell metabolism and improve treatment sensitivity.
- Exercise can modify the metabolism of specific cancer cells and enhance the immune system's response to treatments, particularly when combined with immunotherapy.
- Physical therapists should be involved in cancer patients' therapy regimens to ensure safe and effective exercise, preventing injury or treatment interference.
- Cancer patients should consult registered cancer dietitians for personalized dietary advice tailored to their condition.
- Mobility exercises for cancer patients who have undergone surgeries or lymph node removal require careful consideration due to potential differences in movement abilities.
- Advancements in radiotherapy include more precise techniques, improved imaging technologies, and the use of artificial intelligence for treatment planning and delivery.
Less Fear of Radioactive Isotopes (00:28:50)
- Targeted radiotherapy delivers radioactivity to cancer cells, minimizing damage to healthy organs.
- Radioactive isotopes attached to antibodies can precisely target cancer cells.
- Radioisotope-labeled amino acids are used to study muscle protein synthesis.
- Alpha radiation has a greater ionization potential than gamma rays.
- Lasers are used in tumor resection for precise removal of cancer cells.
- Radionuclide dyes and chemically labeled dyes determine surgical efficacy.
- Chemotherapy and radiotherapy work from different angles in cancer treatment.
- Dr. Joe Zundell's passion for cancer biology stems from losing his mother to esophageal cancer.
- Dr. Zundell's research aims to understand the "why" behind cancer and support patients.
- Cancer treatments have advanced, offering personalized and effective options.
- Immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and precision medicine revolutionize cancer treatment.
- Early detection methods enable earlier diagnosis and accurate treatment planning.
- Nutritional recommendations combat muscle wasting and improve patient outcomes.
- Cancer remains complex and challenging, with each patient's experience being unique.
- The speaker's father experienced misdiagnosis and inadequate care from an HMO.
- After switching to Medicare, a different doctor diagnosed advanced cancer.
- The speaker's father initially responded well to treatment but eventually declined.
- The speaker's father passed away in hospice care on February 14, 2017.