Researchers at Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota have announced that they are on the brink of a major cancer treatment breakthrough that could revolutionize treatment for the deadly disease. The federal government is soon expected to approve these evolutionary new cellular therapies that will specifically be used in the treatment of rare forms of blood cancer. According to the researchers, over a period of time, they expect the therapy to be approved for the treatment of other cancers as well.
The treatment involves extraction of the patient’s white blood cells, and putting these through a process of genetic engineering in a lab. These genetically modified cancer-fighting cells are then placed back in the patient’s body to fight cancer cells. The researchers found that patients’ recovery patterns were enhanced by about seven times when they were put through the stem cell therapy as opposed to to traditional chemotherapy. Patients who benefited from the treatment found that their cancers disappeared.
If the federal government goes ahead with the approval, it would mean the first approval of a genetically modified treatment for cancer. If all goes well, this kind of genetically modified treatment could be a substitute for the toxic chemotherapy that most cancer patients dread.
Approximately 80,000 Americans are diagnosed with blood cancer every year. Approximately 1.7 million people are diagnosed with various forms of tumors. The Social Security Administration does provide for disability benefits for persons who are suffering from cancer. However, the agency will require that you suffer from a cancer that has lasted for 12 months, or is expected to last several months.
Typically, a cancer that is deemed inoperable or one that cannot be treated will fall into this category. You must also provide thorough medical documentation before your claim can be approved. This will include a physician’s report, biopsy results, imaging scans, and the results of other types of tests.