Ex-US President Jimmy Carter Ends Cancer Treatments
On Sunday, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter announced that he is ending his cancer treatment. Carter was diagnosed with skin cancer that spreads to his liver and brain.
As mentioned in a previous report from Latin Post, in August, Carter announced that he was diagnosed with melanoma or skin cancer. This condition is one of the most fatal types of cancer. The 39th U.S. President disclosed that he would be rearranging his schedule and appointments to undergo treatment.
Carter's cancer treatment is going on smoothly. In fact, the Nobel Peace Prize awardee has nothing to worry about. His representative Deanna Congileo revealed that Carter is responding to treatment positively and there are no new tumors.
"We couldn't infer necessarily that the cancer is gone, but nothing is spreading, nothing is growing, nothing is worsening," Congileo told the press. "This is considered really good news, if after a few short months, nothing is growing ... and there doesn't appear to be any new cancer."
Carter is Cancer-Free
Last December, Carter announced that he was finally cancer-free. After announcing that he was cancer-free, Carter also stated that he would continue with his treatment. He received regular doses of pembrolizumab.
Pembrolizumab is a new medication that strengthens patients' immune system in order to fight cancer cells. This new immunotherapy is manufactured by Merck & Co. It is available under the name Keytruda.
Per Nightly News, many cancer patients were interested in the medication that Carter was taking. Keytruda is the newest breakthrough drug for cancer.
No More Cancer Treatment for Carter
Latest reports suggest that Carter is recovering well. In fact, he no longer needs any treatment.
Per the report, the cancer survivor always starts his lessons with updates about his activities. He told his class that he received a 2-hour MRI and the results were great.
"The doctors determined that I didn't need any more treatment," Carter announced. "So I'm not going to have any more treatment."
His statement was great news for everyone. The class was beaming with joy as they smiled and applauded.
Although things are turning out fine, Carter is not taking things lightly. According to Congileo, the physicians will continue to scan Carter from time to time to ensure that the cancer cells do not return. If in case medication is necessary, then by all means, Carter will resume treatment.
Per Tim Turnham of Melanoma Research Foundation, who is not involved with Carter's treatment, perhaps it is Carter's age and demanding schedule triggered them to stop the treatment.
He noted that it's difficult to stop treatment if one finds an efficient drug to stop cancer cells. However, that is between the patient and the physician.
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