Nine years ago, Jimmy Carter held a news conference at the Carter Center in Atlanta to talk about his cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Then age 91, Carter explained that a bad cold the previous May had led to a thorough physical, which by early August 2015 resulted in a diagnosis of melanoma, an extremely dangerous form of skin cancer. He had liver surgery earlier that month, and doctors identified four spots where the cancer had spread to his brain.
If his diagnosis had come a few years earlier he would have been given about six months to live.
Instead, on Tuesday, the former president celebrates his 100th birthday.
Luck played a role, of course. But there's no question, experts say, that he's alive today because of the immune therapy he received.
In August 2015, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter announced that he had been diagnosed with metastatic melanoma that had spread to his brain. This news shocked the world, as the prognosis for such a diagnosis is typically grim. According to the American Cancer Society, the five-year survival rate for patients with metastatic melanoma is about 23% (1). However, Carter has defied the odds, living with the disease for nine years and counting. This article explores how he has managed to do so.
Carter's treatment plan included surgery, radiation, and a groundbreaking drug called pembrolizumab (Keytruda). This drug, approved by the FDA in 2014, is an immunotherapy that works by helping the body's immune system fight cancer cells (2). Carter was one of the early recipients of this treatment, which has since become a standard therapy for patients with advanced melanoma.
The former president's response to the treatment was exceptional. By December 2015, Carter announced that his doctors could no longer detect any cancer in his body. While it's not uncommon for patients to experience a period of remission, Carter's has been notably long-lasting. His case has been cited as an example of the potential of immunotherapy in treating cancer.
However, it's important to note that not all patients respond to immunotherapy as Carter did. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, only about 33% of patients with advanced melanoma respond to pembrolizumab (3). The reasons for this variability in response are not fully understood, but ongoing research is focused on identifying factors that might predict a patient's response to immunotherapy.
Carter's age at the time of diagnosis – 90 years old – is also noteworthy. Older patients often have a poorer prognosis due to other health issues and a potentially weaker immune response. However, Carter has remained remarkably active and healthy throughout his treatment and recovery. His resilience is likely due in part to his overall good health prior to the diagnosis and his positive attitude.
Carter's faith has also played a significant role in his journey. A devout Baptist, Carter has often spoken about the comfort and strength he derives from his faith. While the impact of faith on physical health is a complex and controversial topic, some research suggests that religious belief can have a positive effect on health outcomes (4).
In conclusion, Jimmy Carter's survival following a diagnosis of metastatic melanoma that had spread to his brain is a testament to the advances in cancer treatment, the potential of immunotherapy, and the power of personal resilience and faith. His story offers hope to other patients facing similar diagnoses, but it also underscores the need for ongoing research to improve cancer treatment and understand why some patients respond better to therapies than others.
Sources:
- American Cancer Society: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/melanoma-skin-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/survival-rates-for-melanoma-skin-cancer-by-stage.html
- FDA: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-keytruda-mercks-anti-pd-1-therapy-advanced-melanoma
- Journal of the American Medical Association: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2294966
- Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/positive-thinking/art-20043950
