Flashback 2018: Top medical breakthroughs that experts want you to know

From innovative cancer medicines to groundbreaking heart treatments, here are admirable health milestones of 2018, that will improve our lives in the near future.

In 2018, medical science saw quite a few crucial discoveries, thanks to the tireless efforts of scientists and health experts all across the globe. As we prepare to wave goodbye to 2018, three experts from the fields of oncology, cardiology and gynaecology share their insights with thehealthsite.comon the top medical breakthroughs that took place in their areas. Read on to know how these groundbreaking findings will make our lives better in the days to come.

ONCOLOGY

Dr. Gagan Saini, Radiation Oncologist, Max Healthcare

Oncology is one medical specialty that has benefitted the most with advancement in science and technology. Innovations are also needed in this field because understanding of cancer is not complete yet. India, with its 10 lakh cancer cases per year, which will rise to 15 lakhs this year, must be an early adopter of research for not just cure but also prevention. Here are the top 3 new developments of 2018 in field of cancer:

1. Research in immunotherapy has been increasing every year. This year's accolades go to Adoptive Cell Immunotherapy or CAR T-Cell Immunotherapy. This is a very powerful form of therapy where the doctors take the patient's own white blood cells and modify them to fight the cancer cells inside them. These modified cells are then injected back in to the patient. These cells divide inside the body and later seek and destroy cancer cells everywhere. This technology has successfully helped cure relapsed and incurable blood cancers.
2. This year saw the treatment of cancer based on its genetics instead of the location. In 2018,a drug called pembrolizumab was used for the first time for treatment. It is based solely on its genetics based on MMR and MSI testing. It was seen in a recent research that patients with 12 different types of cancers, but with same MSI/MMR signature, responded to this new drug in an excellent manner. This therapy proves to be useful in hard-to-treat recurrent and metastastic cases.
3. Radiation therapy has become even more effective in lung cancer cases. The introduction of new drug called durvalumab, administered along with radiation therapy, slows cancer growth and significantly increases survival.

CARDIOLOGY

Dr. Yugal Mishra, Head, Cardiac Sciences and Chief, Cardiovascular Surgery, Manipal Hospitals

Cardiovascular medicine has seen many changes in the year gone by. Several drugs have been newly introduced for cardiovascular problems. The treatments that were introduced in 2017 have witnessed an increased impact on patients in 2018. As many as 46 new drugs have been approved by the US FDA and will soon be used in treating heart diseases.

New devices and clinical trials that have been successful were reported in 2018. The areas where great progress is expected are:

Increased role of PCSK9 inhibitors, a new class of drugs that reduce bad cholesterol

Recognition of the impact of inflammation on cardiovascular disease

The percutaneous placement of aortic and mitral valves

Increased role of wearable and implantable devices and the data they collect

Also, heart failure, diabetes and cardio-oncology will be among the most prominent areas where there will be new innovations and groundbreaking clinical trials.

IN VITRO FERTILISATION (IVF)

Dr. Ila Gupta, Ferticity IVF Clinics

The thickness of your endometrium plays a significant role in determining the success of your pregnancy. It happens quite often that we have to cancel a Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) due to thin endometrium. FET is a type of IVF procedure where a cryopreserved embryo created in a full IVF cycle is thawed and moved to a woman's uterus. A new treatment approach, known as Intrauterine infusion of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has emerged to deal with this problem.

The PRP is a treatment where blood plasma is prepared from fresh blood enriched with platelets. Collected from the peripheral veins, this contains several growth factors that contribute to stimulation and growth. The PRP approach is also known to be effective in other medical.