Jimmy Carter, ex-U.S President who turned 100, survived brain cancer for 9 years; here's how he did it

Nine years ago, Jimmy Carter's brain was affected by cancer. Jimmy Carter discussed his cancer diagnosis and treatment during a press conference held nine years ago at the Carter Center in Atlanta.

Jimmy Carter, who was 91 years old at the time, gave an explanation of how a severe cold in May of the previous year prompted a complete physical, which in early August of 2015 revealed the presence of melanoma, a very serious form of skin cancer. During his liver surgery earlier that month, medical professionals found four areas on his brain where the cancer had metastasized.

He would have had roughly six months to live if his diagnosis had been made a few years earlier. Rather, the former president commemorates his 100th birthday on Tuesday.


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Naturally, luck had a part in it. Experts assert that there is no doubt that the immune therapy he received is the reason he is still alive today. Dr. Stephen Hodi, who oversees the Dana-Farber Brigham Cancer Center in Boston's Melanoma Center and Center for Immuno-Oncology, said that it's kind of a trite term, but in so many ways, he's kind of the poster child for immune therapy. There were so many issues that he exemplified as a patient. The therapy was a brand-new tool in the cancer fighter's toolbox back then.

The first checkpoint inhibitor, generically known as ipilimumab, had received approval from the Food and Drug Administration just four years prior. Pembrolizumab, the second such medication that Carter was given, was only approved the year prior to his administration.

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Cancer immunotherapies, including pembrolizumab, are now a major pillar of cancer care alongside surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Dr. David Lawson treated Carter with pembrolizumab due to his health and resilience. Carter's treatment came on the cusp of realizing the effectiveness of these treatments. Research shows that many patients with brain metastases from melanoma can benefit from checkpoint therapy.

FAQs:

How did Jimmy Carter survive nine years with brain cancer?
Jimmy Carter received immunotherapy, specifically pembrolizumab, to help his immune system fight the melanoma that had spread to his brain.

Is age a barrier to cancer treatments, such as immunotherapy?
No, age is not a barrier. Doctors treated Carter, who was 91 at the time, demonstrating that immunotherapy can benefit even the elderly.