AT
AT THE
AT THE AGE OF 87. >> Host: AFTER 40 YEARS OF
RESEARCH, THE CODE TO THE MOST
COMMON TYPE OF SMALL CELL LUNG
CANCER HAS BEEN CRACKED.
RESEARCHERS HAVE UNCOVERED NEW
BIOMARKERS AND TREATMENT. JUST
TAKING A PILL WITH NO SURGERY
OR CHEMOTHERAPY OR RADIATION.
AND JOINING ME IS TERRY CONNOR
AND DR. MORDECHAI.
>> Host: FIRST OF ALL, DR., WHY
IS THE NEW RESEARCH INTO LUNG
CANCER SO IMPORTANT?
>> As YOU MENTIONED IN THE
INTRODUCTION, IT HAS BEEN 40
YEARS AND AFTER ALL OF THIS
TIME, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
CRACK THE CODE TO ONE OF THE
MOST COMMON TYPES OF NON-SMALL
CELL CANCERS.
CELL CANCERS. IT IS COMMON AND THIS NEW AND
EXCITING TREATMENT IS FOCUSED ON
PATIENTS WITH NON-SMALL CELL
LUNG CANCER. THIS IS THE FIRST
TIME THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY ABLE
TO BE CLOSE TO A TARGETED
THERAPY.
THERAPY.
THERAPY. THE CLINICAL TRIALS HAVE BEEN
COMPLETED AND WE EXPECT THE FDA
TO COMPLETE ITS REVIEW OF THE
DATA AND HOPEFULLY APPROVE THE
DRUG IN A FEW MONTHS.
IF THE TREATMENT IS APPROVED,
DOCTORS, FOR THE FIRST TIME,
WILL BE ABLE TO PRESCRIBE A
TARGETED THERAPY TO THEIR NON-
SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER
PATIENTS.
PATIENTS.
PATIENTS. >> Host: WHAT IS TARGETED
THERAPY AND HOW DOES THAT WORK?
>> THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
LET'S DESCRIBE WHAT CANCER
CELLS CAN LOOK LIKE.
WE NOW KNOW THAT EACH TURN IS
UNIQUE, THINK OF IT LIKE A
SNOWFLAKE.
SNOWFLAKE. THE BIOMARKER TESTING LETS US
FIGURE OUT WHAT CANCER CELLS
ARE WITHIN THAT PARTICULAR TUMOR
. WHEN A PATIENT IS FIRST
DIAGNOSED WITH LUNG CANCER, IT
IS IMPORTANT TO GET THE
BIOMARKER TESTING. WE USE THE
BIOMARKER TESTING TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT TYPE OF CANCER CELLS WE
ARE DEALING WITH. BECAUSE THERE
ARE SPECIFIC DRUGS DESIGNED TO
ATTACK MANY OF THESE BIOMARKERS
THAT WE CAN DETECT WITH
TESTING, THIS IS WHAT WE CALL
TARGETED THERAPY. IT IS GOING
AFTER A SPECIFIC BIOMARKER.
SO, IF YOU HAVE ONE OF THESE
BIOMARKERS, THE TREATMENT COULD
SIMPLY BE A PILL As OPPOSED TO
IV CHEMOTHERAPY AND RADIATION.
>> Host: THAT IS INCREDIBLE.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO PATIENTS
DIAGNOSED WITH THIS? IT IS
POTENTIALLY LIFE-CHANGING.
POTENTIALLY LIFE-CHANGING. >> IT OFFERS HOPE FOR OUR
PATIENTS. IT IS A BREAKTHROUGH
AFTER NEARLY 40 YEARS AND IT
ALLOWS US TO BUILD ON THE
FINDINGS AND IMPROVE ON THE
RESULTS WE ARE GETTING ALREADY.
IT CONTINUES ON A PATH WE
STARTED WITH ADDITIONAL
RESEARCH TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF
LIFE AND OUTCOMES FOR THE
PATIENTS WITH NON-SMALL CELL
LUNG CANCER.
LUNG CANCER. >> CAN YOU EXPLAIN
IMMUNOTHERAPY?
IMMUNOTHERAPY? IS THAT CORRECT?
>> THAT IS TRUE. I WOULD SAY IN
THE LAST DECADE WE HAVE MADE
IMPROVEMENTS IN UNDERSTANDING
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND FINDING
WAYS TO FIGHT AGAINST CANCER.
SO, IMMUNOTHERAPY GETS THE
IMMUNE SYSTEM TO RECOGNIZE THE
CANCER. CANCER CELLS HIDE
THEMSELVES AND CLOAK THEMSELVES
FROM THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND CAN
GO UNDETECTED.
GO UNDETECTED. THIS UN-CLOAKS THE CANCER CELLS
AND ALLOWS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM TO
SEE THE CANCER AND GO AFTER IT
AND TRY TO ELIMINATE IT.
AGAIN, THIS IS ANOTHER
SIGNIFICANT BREAKTHROUGH THAT
OFFERS A LOT OF HOPE FOR
PATIENTS WITH CANCER. IT IS THE
DIRECT RESULT OF CLINICAL AND
LABORATORY RESEARCH.
LABORATORY RESEARCH. >> Host: I WOULD LOVE TO SPEAK
TO TERRY. CAN YOU TELL US YOUR
STORY?
STORY?
STORY? >>
STORY? >> I WAS DIAGNOSED FOUR YEARS
AGO WITH NON-SMALL CELL LUNG
CANCER. AND I KNEW THAT IT HAD
KRAS . I AM HERE TODAY BECAUSE
OF THE RESEARCH DONE PREVIOUSLY
. WHAT IS SO IMPORTANT IN BEING
ABLE TO CRACK THE CODE IS THAT
WE WILL NOW BE ABLE TO
POTENTIALLY TAKE A PILL. I
CANNOT TAKE A PILL TO MAKE
MYSELF BETTER UNLESS WE HAVE
DONE THE RESEARCH AND THAT IS
WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO, GETTING
THE RESEARCH TO MAKE IT BETTER
FOR TOMORROW.
FOR TOMORROW. >> Host: HAD YOU HEARD THE TERM
BIOMARKER BEFORE YOU WERE
DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER?
>> I HAD NO IDEA WHAT A
BIOMARKER WAS AND HOW
INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT IT WOULD BE
. IT WOULD NAME THE DEVIL IN MY
BODY THAT I'M FIGHTING TO STAY
ALIVE.
ALIVE.
ALIVE. NOW THAT I KNOW WHAT IT IS AND
WHAT IT IS WE NEED TO FIGHT FOR
AND WHO THE ENEMY IS, RIGHT?
FIRST YOU HAVE TO FIGHT THE
ENEMY, ONCE YOU IDENTIFY THE
NAME.
NAME.
NAME. >>
NAME. >> Host: ABSOLUTELY.
YOU HAVE A FACEBOOK GROUP
CALLED THE KRAS KICKERS.
WHY DID YOU START THE GROUP?
>> I WANTED TO FIND OTHER
PATIENTS SO WE COULD SUPPORT
EACH OTHER. DO WE HAVE KIDS OF
THE SAME AGE AND ARE WE GOING
THROUGH THE SAME ISSUES AND
CONCERNS?
CONCERNS?
CONCERNS? WE CONNECTED THROUGH THE
FACEBOOK GROUP CALLED KRAS
KICKERS TO COME TOGETHER TO
SHARE THE RESOURCES AND THE
RESEARCH TO CONNECT AND TO BE
ABLE TO HAVE OUR OWN COMMUNITY
SO WE CAN WORK TOWARD THE
COMMON GOAL OF KICKING CANCERS
KRAS .
KRAS .
KRAS . >>
KRAS . >> YOU ARE GOING THROUGH
SOMETHING SO SCARY.
>> IT IS TERRIFYING. I CAN'T
CONTROL WHAT I HAVE, BUT I CAN
CONTROL WHAT I DO WITH IT.
THIS TAKES THE ENERGY AND PUTS
IT TOWARD SOMETHING GOOD.
IT GIVES ME WIND BENEATH MY
WINGS, IF YOU WILL, TO COME
TOGETHER AND TO SHARE THAT
HOPE, CONNECTION AND SUPPORT.
RIGHT NOW THERE ARE A LOT OF
VIRTUAL HUGS.
VIRTUAL HUGS. >> Host: WHY IS RESEARCH
FUNDING SO VITAL?
>> RESEARCH FUNDING FROM
YESTERDAY HAS ME ALIVE TODAY.
IF WE WANT TO FIND THE DEVILS
AND THE KRAS WHICH IS THE MOST
COMMON AND DEADLIEST LUNG
CANCER, WE ENABLE NEED TO BE
ABLE TO PUT THE ENERGY INTO THE
RESEARCH TODAY SO WE HAVE THE
HOPE, THE LEGITIMATE HOPE FOR
TOMORROW. IT IS THOSE
INVESTIGATIONS BEGINNING TO
FIND THE CODE TO KICK CANCER'S
KRAS .
KRAS .
KRAS . >>
KRAS . >> Host: COULD YOU SAY THAT ONE
MORE TIME.
MORE TIME. >> IT