Leading Cancer Scientists Anticipate Next ‘Eureka Moment’ in Tumor Treatment

Highlights

• Roswell Park team developing new ways to ‘armor’ immune cells against cancer
• Poll: 17% of patients would prefer cellular therapy over traditional treatment
• Marine Corps veteran shares experience with CAR T-cell therapy to treat cancer

NOTE FOR MEDIA: Video, photos and additional resources available here

Newswise — BUFFALO, N.Y. — A new national survey from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center shows nearly one in five people diagnosed with cancer would prefer an innovative treatment called CAR T-cell therapy. It transforms a patient’s own healthy cells into cancer-fighting supercells.

The survey results revealed that if participants were diagnosed with cancer:

• 17% would prefer CAR T-cell therapy over traditional cancer treatments like chemotherapy or radiation

• 63% are comfortable with either CAR T-cell therapy or traditional treatments, and would rely on their doctor’s recommendation

• 4% would prefer traditional treatments over CAR T-cell therapy

17% would prefer CAR T-cell therapy over traditional cancer treatments like chemotherapy or radiation

63% are comfortable with either CAR T-cell therapy or traditional treatments, and would rely on their doctor’s recommendation

4% would prefer traditional treatments over CAR T-cell therapy

“We need to take those chances to help push that progress forward,” said Charlie Boulanger, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran whose advanced lymphoma is now in remission thanks to his CAR T-cell treatment, referring to the advances that paved the way for the FDA-approved cell therapy he received after traditional therapies failed to cure his cancer.  “I was diagnosed within 90 days as cancer-free.” 

Scientists at Roswell Park are building on the success of treating patients with blood cancer like Boulanger, developing CAR T-cell therapies that can target and destroy cancer tumors that other therapies cannot. 

“We think we can have another one of those eureka moments,” said Renier Brentjens, MD, PhD, the Deputy Director and Chair of Medicine at Roswell Park.

CAR T-cell therapy involves extracting T cells, a type of immune cell, from a patient’s blood and then taking them into a specialized lab. From there, scientists engineer the cells to recognize and destroy cancer cells. The cells are then duplicated by the millions and replaced in the patient’s body through an IV infusion.

To help make CAR T-cell approaches work against more cancers, Dr. Brentjens and his team at Roswell Park are now working to add an extra layer of defense or “armor” to the cells to blast through tumors and survive longer in the body. Brian Betts, MD, a Vice Chair of Medicine at Roswell Park overseeing clinical research with cellular therapies, said to think of the “armored” CAR T-cells as soldiers storming — and overtaking — a fortress.

“That’s a huge win and going to be incredibly successful for patients in a very short period of time,” Dr. Betts said.

CAR T-cell therapy is currently FDA-approved only for certain types of blood cancer, but Roswell Park is also working to expand the use of this approach to treat solid-tumor cancers as well as autoimmune diseases like lupus.

To learn more about the unique resources available at the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York, as well as the capabilities and expertise housed within the Roswell Park GMP Engineering & Cell Manufacturing Facility (GEM), visit roswellpark.org/gmp.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Ipsos on the KnowledgePanel from September 5 to September 8, 2025, and surveyed 1,024 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. This poll is based on a nationally representative probability sample and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level for results based on the entire sample of adults. The margin of sampling error takes into account the design effect of 1.05. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact: christopher.moessner@ipsos.com.