Yahoo News: UC researchers aim to offer more cancer treatment options for patients

The American Cancer Society estimates that one in two men and one in three women will receive a cancer diagnosis at some point in their life, but cancer researchers are continuing to make advancements to improve cancer treatment options for patients.

Yahoo News and WLWT highlighted the work being done in Trisha Wise-Draper's lab at the University of Cincinnati. Wise-Draper said new treatments like immunotherapy, which helps train the body to fight cancer cells, provide more focused treatment.

"Every therapy could potentially have side effects, but the more targeted we get to the cancer, the less likely you get systemic effects," Wise-Draper, MD, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology in UC’s College of Medicine, Head and Neck Center of Excellence co-leader, medical director of the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center Clinical Trials Office and Lab and a UC Health physician, told WLWT.

Earlier this year, Wise-Draper published research that showed administering an immunotherapy drug to standard of care treatment regimens led to increased survival rates for patients with head and neck cancer with intermediate risk features.

Davendra Sohal, MD, associate professor of medicine, director of experimental therapeutics and clinic medical director in UC’s Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Cincinnati Cancer Center associate director for clinical research and a UC Health physician, told WLWT that research and clinical trials are able to move forward both due to federal funding, but also through support from philanthropic organizations and the community. 

Sohal and Wise-Draper will both be participating in the Ride Cincinnati fundraiser this weekend to raise money for the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center.

"Every dollar raised comes to cancer research. Cancer research cannot be funded by only one or the other component. We need all components," Sohal said.

Watch the segment on Yahoo News.

Read or watch the WLWT story.

Learn more about Ride Cincinnati.

Featured photo at top of Dr. Wise-Draper courtesy of UC Health.