17 November 2019
By Mary Bermingham
mary@TheCork.ie
Health News
What is Immunotherapy all about? Irish Cancer Society announces details of latest Decoding Cancer event in Cork
The Irish Cancer Society will hold a Decoding Cancer talk called “What is Immunotherapy all about?” in Cork University Hospital next Tuesday 19th November. The free public talk will feature a panel discussion about new immunotherapy treatments for cancer, and will be led by Cork-based Consultant Oncologist Dr. Derek Power.
Speaking ahead of the event, Dr. Robert O’Connor, Head of Research with the Irish Cancer Society said, “Investment in research has meant there have been a huge amount of advances in cancer treatment in Ireland over the last number of decades, which is leading to better outcomes for those affected by cancer. Immunotherapies are a group of treatments which try to modify the immune system to help it better target the abnormal cells causing cancer.”
“For some people use of particular immunotherapies may lead to dramatic improvements while in others such treatments may have life threatening effects. So, just like lots of other advances, there can be benefits, as well as challenges, to this type of treatment and we are looking forward to a good discussion in Cork about all of the various issues surrounding immunotherapy. I would encourage anyone interested in hearing more about it to come along to the CUH on the 19th November.”
The main speaker at the event is Dr Derek Power, who is a medical graduate of the Royal College of Surgeons, and a fellow of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, New York. He returned to Cork to take up his consultant position in 2010, where he was jointly appointed an honorary clinical lecturer in University College Cork. Dr Power is an author on more than 80 papers, reviews and book chapters on cancer and various aspects of cancer research.
This event is being held as part of the Irish Cancer Society’s ‘Decoding Cancer’ series of public talks, which aims to dispel some of the myths around cancer and explore the many advances being made through research in prevention, early detection, treatment, and survivors’ quality of life.
Book your free ticket at cancer.ie/decodingcancer