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CANCER TREATMENT

What is immunotherapy, how much does the cancer treatment tried by Leah Bracknell cost and did Bradley Lowery receive it?

Jermain Defoe carried Bradley Lowery onto the pitch against Everton this season

A PIONEERING cancer treatment that "weaponises" the body's immune system has been labelled as a "breakthrough" in the fight against cancer.

Immunotherapy targets defensive T-cells, and modifies them to seek out and destroy cancer, but how exactly does it work?

 With Immunotherapy treatment, doctors target the T-cells, a key type of immune cell in the body, modifying or weaponising them to allow them to seek out and destroy the cancer
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With Immunotherapy treatment, doctors target the T-cells, a key type of immune cell in the body, modifying or weaponising them to allow them to seek out and destroy the cancerCredit: Getty Images

What is immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy is a new cancer treatment that many are saying is the most promising breakthrough in cancer therapies since the development of chemotherapies in the 1940s.

According to the : “Immunotherapy ‘wakes up’ a patient’s own immune system so it can fight cancer.”

Immunotherapy treatment works in two ways:

  • Stimulating a patient’s immune system to work harder to attack cancer cells
  • Giving patient immune system components such as man-made immune system proteins

The treatment is fairly new and scientists are researching ways to harness the power of the immune system, but several trials are currently taking place.

It's impossible to put a price on the immunotherapy treatment as there are so many different trials and specific treatments available.

TYPES OF CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPY

  • Monoclonal antibodies: These are man-made versions of immune system proteins. Antibodies can be very useful in treating cancer because they can be designed to attack a very specific part of a cancer cell.
  • Immune checkpoint inhibitors: These drugs basically take the ‘brakes’ off the immune system, which helps it recognise and attack cancer cells.
  • Cancer vaccines: Vaccines are substances put into the body to start an immune response against certain diseases. We usually think of them as being given to healthy people to help prevent infections. But some vaccines can help prevent or treat cancer.
  • Other, non-specific immunotherapies: These treatments boost the immune system in a general way, but this can still help the immune system attack cancer cells.
  • Source: cancer.org

Is Leah Bracknell having it?

An online appeal was started earlier this year to raise money for the Emmerdale star to travel to Germany to have the pioneering treatment.

Leah's partner Jez Hughes set up a to pay for the actress to have the treatment, which is not available on the NHS.

He wrote: "Having done a lot of research, we have found there are incredible breakthroughs being made in the field of immunotherapy and integrative medicine, which are seeing previously 'incurable' cancers going into complete remission.

"A clinic in Germany called the Hallwang clinic is leading the way in this. The downside is that these cutting edge treatments aren't yet available on the NHS outside of clinical trials, most of which Ali doesn't qualify for, and are very expensive."

 Leah wont be giving into negativity this Christmas
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Leah wont be giving into negativity this ChristmasCredit: Rex Features

She also uses a range of alternative treatments to try to cope with the incurable disease, including an infrared sauna, partly-funded by the generous donations fans made to Leah to fund her cancer fight, that she uses each day to stay warm.

How does the immune system work?

The immune system works as a defence barrier by identifying faulty cells and protecting the body against diseases.

Sometimes faulty cells can go under the radar and develop into tumours.

Now scientists are developing ways to help the immune system to “remember” faulty cells so they can quickly recognise them if they come back.

Will immunotherapy help cancer patients?

The success of immunotherapy can vary depending on the type of cancer.

And there are currently a number of clinical trials taking place to assess the treatment of patients with the following cancers:

  • bladder
  • prostate
  • bowel
  • breast
  • ovarian
  • lung
  • melanoma
Jermain Defoe carried Bradley Lowery onto the pitch against Everton this season
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Jermain Defoe struck up a special bond with young Bradley LoweryCredit: Getty Images

Did Bradley Lowery undergo immunotheraphy treatment?

Football fan Bradley Lowery's family were told at the beginning of April he had been picked for a new immunotherapy treatment trial.

The ill tot was the first patient in the UK to receive the £35,000 treatment in early May.

But sadlu on July 7 Bradley's family announced he had lost his battle with neuroblastoma and had tragically passed away.

Neuroblastoma is a type of cancer that most commonly afflicts babies and young children.

The disease develops from special nerve cells, known as neuroblasts, which get left behind from the child's development in the womb.

​Jermain Defoe talks about his special bond with ​Bradley Lowery on This Morning
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