The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just approved a personalized cancer treatment that has the potential to have dramatic benefits for some types of cancer patients.
The therapy called Yescarta is a gene therapy, and involves the removal and genetic engineering of the immune cells of patients, so that they are better equipped to fight off the cancer cells. This is the second gene therapy treatment for cancer approved by the Agency, and the first such therapy to be approved for the use of certain types of cancers like non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Experts believe that over the next few years, thousands of lives will be saved because of the treatment. There are, however, risks involved with the treatment and severe side effects attached. The therapy is also expensive, and it is likely to be used only in those cases where other treatment options have failed.
Persons who suffer from cancer may be eligible for disability benefits under the Social Security Disability Insurance program. To qualify for benefits, you must have paid into the Social Security system. Persons who suffer from certain types of cancer may qualify for expedited processing of their application. Several types of cancers are included in the SSA’s Compassionate Allowances program which allows claims to be approved quicker. If your cancer is inoperable, is recurrent in spite of treatment, or is spreading across the body, you may qualify for expedited processing of your claim.
Persons who suffer from cancer must prove that their condition prevents them from working because of the severe effects of the disease as well as the side effects of the various treatments that are normally administered. These treatments include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and other types of procedures that can leave a patient extremely weak and unable to function normally or work.