38 | June• 2018
6 NEW TREATMENTS THAT CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE
laterhewentbackforastenttobe
inserted into another main artery,
which had been 75 per cent blocked.
Ittookeightmonthsforhimtomake
afullrecovery.
Mark is on a rigorous course of
medications, and he’s now more con-
scious of salt and fat in his diet.
“I always read the labels for salt and
fat content,” he explains, with a laugh.
“Plus, I’m even more conscious of the
importance of a healthy lifestyle.”Cancer
138,321newcasesofcancerwillbe
diagnosedinAustraliain2018,with
around 22,000 new cases expected
in New Zealand.
THE GOOD NEWS
Even with advanced cancers,
people are enjoying longer
survival times.
HOW IT HAPPENED
New immunotherapy drugs.he most promising news in cancer
treatment today is immunotherapy,
whichencouragesthebody’sim-
mune system to rally its own forces
against disease. he newest advance
in this field is CAR T-cell therapy
(CARstandsforchimericantigen
receptor).Inthelab,aperson’sown
T-cells(atypeofwhitebloodcell)are
re-engineered into cancer-fighting
machines.
The first such therapy was
approved in the United States inBackin2013,MarkOakley,father
of two young children from Preston,
Victoria, was in good shape. Aged
39, he had a reasonably healthy diet,
walkedsixkilometreseveryday,had
neversmoked,andwasalightsocial
drinker.Hisfamilyhadahistoryof
high blood pressure, but he’d been on
medicationfor18monthstocontrol
it,andhisdoctorwasmonitoringhim
onaregularbasis.Allthatchanged
suddenly one afternoon.
“Ican’texplainit,butmywhole
bodyfeltodd,”herecalls.“Ifeltto-
tallydiferent,butIcouldn’tpinpoint
what was wrong.” Most imagine that
aheartattackwouldbepainful,but
Markfeltnopain,notingling–only
aslightdiscomfortinhiscollarbone.
He visited his GP immediately, where
hewasgivenanECG.Hisdoctorwas
puzzledbythereading,socalledan
ambulance. he paramedics carried
outtheirownECG,transmittingthe
resultslivetothenearbyhospital.
heyconirmedthatMarkwashav-
ing a heart attack, but concerned
thathehadnopain,theydecidedto
rushhimtonearbyAustinHospital.
“When they put me in the ambu-
lance,Iknewitwasreal,”hesays.
From the moment he was brought
out of the ambulance, to be greeted
by the anaesthetist, to the moment
heemergedfromsurgery–witha
stentinsertedintohismaincoronary
artery–just26minuteshadpassed.
Itturnsouthismaincoronaryartery
was completely blocked. Two weeks