ONCOLOGY
RESEARCHING NEXT MOVES
AGAINST LUNG CANCER
A German study Leads to a
Novel Approach to Fighting
Cancer Cell Growth
Chess isn’t just a game
anymore. Scientists are
using strategies from chess
to combat cancer cells that
evade chemotherapy.
STAYING AHEAD OF CANCER CELLS
Dr. Gaetano Gargiulo, group leader at
the Max Delbruck Center for Molecular
Medicine in the Helmholtz
Association in Germany, led a team
of researchers aiming to test a new
approach in a specific type of lung
cancer in which cells can evade chemotherapy.
In fact, the chemotherapy
can at times alter the cells to the point
that they become difficult to treat.
Lung cancer is one of the most common
forms of cancer in the world
and is also the leading cause of
death from cancer according to the
World Health Organization (WHO).
2018 estimates from WHO show
that at least 2.09 million people are
currently living with lung cancer and
approximately 1.76 million deaths will
occur this year alone.
A misconception with lung cancer is
that it is not one disease but several.
Most people suffering from lung cancer
have non-small cell lung cancer,
and within this type there are multiple
subtypes. Oftentimes, chemotherapies
work by stopping cells from dividing,
but they can also harm healthy
cells and result in uncomfortable side
effects. In addition, cancer cells in aggressive
tumors can survive the chemotherapy
treatments and will mutate
in the process. The surviving cells
are particularly dangerous because
they change in a way that can prevent
physicians from knowing what type of
cancer cells they are up against. This
results in challenges in determining
next best steps for treatment.
Dr. Gargiulo and the team challenged
themselves with researching this
issue in a form of non-small cell lung
12 COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE DIGEST • JAN–MAR 2019 | WWW.CHDIGEST.COM
/WWW.CHDIGEST.COM