Andrea was 49 years old with two teenage children when she discovered a lump in her breast. Imaging confirmed it was breast cancer. Her doctors recommended a biopsy, but Andrea chose to pursue a different path.
Instead, she researched her options and sought treatment in Mexico. Her treatment had three parts: a lumpectomy to remove the tumor and a few nearby lymph nodes, a short course of low-dose chemotherapy, and finally, a Natural Killer (NK) cell-based treatment. Unlike standard chemotherapy, the NK cell therapy did not make her sick.
Three months later, a PET scan showed no signs of cancer. A liquid biopsy – a blood test that detects cancer DNA – confirmed the same result: no cancer detected.
For our team at RCM Health, this was an important case that changed how we approach cancer care. We were aware of the scientific evidence that natural killer cells kill cancer cells. Andrea’s outcome alerted us to the current availability of NK cell-based treatment that actively supports the patient’s immune response to cancer.
What Are Natural Killer Cells?
Natural Killer cells are specialized immune cells that your body produces naturally. Think of them as your immune system’s first responders. They can identify and destroy cancer cells on their own, without needing to be “trained” to recognize a specific tumor first.
What makes NK cells particularly exciting as a treatment is what they don’t do. Unlike some other immune-based therapies, they carry a much lower risk of serious side effects, such as graft-versus-host disease, in which immune cells attack the patient’s own body, or dangerous inflammatory reactions called cytokine release syndrome. This also means NK cells from healthy donors can potentially be stored and used off the shelf, making them far more accessible than many existing cell therapies.
The Problem with Conventional Cancer Treatment
Standard high-dose chemotherapy and radiation are effective at destroying cancer, but they also destroy the very immune cells patients need to recover and stay cancer-free. When a patient’s total lymphocyte count – a key measure of immune health – falls below 1,000, they are in a state of severe immune failure, leaving them vulnerable and unable to fight back.
This is a critical gap that NK cell therapy is beginning to fill.
The Science Behind the Treatment
A company called ImmunityBio, founded in 2014 by Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, has been at the forefront of NK cell-based cancer treatment. Their platform allows NK cells to be expanded in large quantities, genetically enhanced, and preserved for use, offering multiple ways to attack cancer cells.
Their most significant breakthrough to date is ANKTIVA, a drug approved by the FDA in 2024. It was the first approval of its kind for bladder cancer, and the first new immunotherapy approved for that use since 1990.
In plain terms: ANKTIVA acts like a signal booster for NK cells and T cells, stimulating them to multiply and become more active. It also helps “wake up” tumors that had been hiding from the immune system, making them visible to immune cells again and restoring the effectiveness of other cancer immunotherapies that had stopped working.
Orchestrating the Immune System
Dr. Soon-Shiong’s broader vision goes beyond a single drug.
He describes it as “orchestrating” the immune system – using a carefully timed combination of four approaches working together: activating NK and T cells using specially engineered proteins; activating immune cells called macrophages to directly destroy tumor tissue; building lasting immune memory using vaccine-based therapies; and targeting the tumor’s surrounding environment to prevent it from shielding itself.
For patients whose immune systems have been severely depleted by chemotherapy, this IL-15-based platform represents the first real opportunity to rebuild immune function from the ground up.
What This Means for RCM Health Patients
It was Andrea – whose initiative in seeking treatment abroad – that alerted us to the current availability of natural killer cell-based treatment.
Her remarkable outcome opened our eyes to the growing role of NK cells in active cancer treatment. We now advocate for incorporating NK cell therapy into our evaluation and planning process for every RCM Health patient on a cancer journey.
This is an area of medicine that will only continue to grow, and we are committed to ensuring our patients have access to the most advanced and evidence-informed options available.
Ready to explore whether NK cell therapy is right for you?
At RCM Health, we evaluate every cancer patient’s case with an eye toward the most current and effective treatment options – including emerging immune-based therapies like NK cell treatment. Our team is here to help you navigate your options with clarity and confidence.