Daniel HayesStuart B. Padnos Professor of Breast Cancer Research,University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center
Because we have been siloed into tissue-of-origin treatment bins (melanoma, lung, colorectal, breast, etc) over the last 100 or more years, we have applied these therapies based more on where the cancer was derived than on the biology of the cancer itself.
Obviously, the field of immune-oncology has been one of the great success stories in our field over the last five years, based on our molecular understanding of the mechanisms of immune tolerance (or checkpoints) and how to disrupt that. Not only has ASCO declared Checkpoint Inhibition (as well as cellular-based immunotherapy) the “Advance of the Year,” the Nobel Committee awarded this year’s Prize to Drs. Allison and Honjo for their fabulous observations that led to these great breakthroughs.
