What is Immunotherapy? And how does it work against Cancer?
Immunotherapy is a new class of cancer treatment that has delivered astonishing results till date. Also known as Biological Therapy or Biotherapy, it is a new type of cancer treatment that enhances the body's immune system to fight against cancer. Immunotherapy for cancer in India can be done either by:-
- Stopping or halting the growth of cancer in the body.
- Stopping cancer from travelling to other parts of the body.
- Enhancing, and strengthening patient’s immune system
What are the types of Immunotherapy? And what is the process of Treating Cancer with it?
There are several types of Immunotherapies:
- Monoclonal Antibodies (Passive immunotherapies)
- Non-Specific Immunotherapies
- Cancer Vaccines (Active specific immunotherapies)
Either single or two or more of these immunotherapies are used together depending on the needs of the patient.
Monoclonal Antibodies
Monoclonal antibodies are based on the working principle of human immune system (produce antibodies when the body is infected by external bodies like bacteria, fungi, etc). These types of antibodies are prepared artificially and are inserted into the body intravenously (through the veins). They work either by:
- Targeting specific harmful proteins on the surface of cancer cells which are sometimes deserted by the immune cells and thereby helping the immune system recognize and destroy the cancer cells.
- Or they help block the cancer growth factor receptors (receptors that help in the growth of the cells).
- Also, monoclonal antibodies that carry radioactive particles helps diagnose certain types of cancers like colorectal, ovarian and prostate cancer with the help of special cameras.
- Some antibodies carry immunotherapy drugs directly to cancer cells and destroy them by attaching to them
Non-Specific Immunotherapies
They are usually given in chorus with other traditional treatments like Chemotherapy. It is done either by using laboratory prepared Interferons which slows down the growth of cancer cells or by using Interleukins which destroys the cancer cells.
Cancer Vaccines
They expose the immune system with a protein that makes the immune system to distinguish and destroy the cancer causing cells. It can be done either by using Preventive vaccines which are given to prevent a person from the viruses like Human papillomavirus (HPV) that prevent cervical cancer, or by treatment vaccine trains the immune system to fight against the cancer.
Cancer vaccines are considered active immunotherapies, because the substances that are injected into the patient are meant to trigger an active response by the patient's own immune system. These vaccines cause the immune system to produce antibodies against antigens and/or to produce cytotoxic T lymphocytes to attack cancer cells that have those antigens. Vaccines may also be combined with non-specific immunotherapy using additional substances or cells called ‘Adjuvants’ to boost the immune response.
In a nutshell, Immunotherapy is a personalised treatment of cancer, and will vary from patient to patient. Via immunotherapy, body’s own defence mechanism is enhanced to combat and destroy the cancer cells. Cancer specialists dealing in the arena of immunology cancer treatment have said that Immunotherapy has proved to be a breakthrough treatment where the outcomes have been great. In this form of treatment, cells or natural substances by the own body are restored in the laboratory to improve the functioning of the immune system.
Which Cancers are Treated with Immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy is evolving and emerging as a critical component for breast cancer treatment. Setting the groundwork for future success, studies have shown that breast cancer is immunogenic. It has an average analysis of cell which is predictive of response. This varies by histology with triple negative breast cancer having the highest burden.
Also, previous immune strategies have led to survival benefits suggesting Immunotherapy for breast cancer playing a role. There are many clinical trials to analyse strategies for patients with breast cancer.
Past that, different forms of immunotherapies are being used to treat different kinds of cancer. Some forms of cancer which are treated with immunotherapy are:
- Breast cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Stomach cancer
- Hodgkin's lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
- Lung cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Brain cancer
- Large B-cell lymphomas
- Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
What are the Side Effects of Immunotherapy?
There are well known treatments like chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery, which are formulated to fight cancer, then why should one opt for Immunotherapy?
One reason is because of the nature of these treatments that are based on destroying cancer cells by burning them (radiation), by poisoning them (chemo) and by removing them (surgery). While they can efficiently kill cancer cells, these treatments are restricted because large numbers of normal cells are also destroyed.
Prolonged treatment via these methods will also lead to life altering side effects. Immunotherapy, on the other hand, is not toxic. Few of the major benefits over other cancer healing methods include:
- One of the only methods of treating cancer without side effects like hair loss, infections, pain, vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea, weight loss, etc.
- Normal cells are not affected or destroyed during the treatment.
- No damage to the taste buds and avoids conditions like Osteoradionecrosis (bone death).
- Cancer treatment in India available for all four stages of different types of cancer including pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, melanoma, etc.
- The cost in India is affordable.
What is the Process of Treating Cancer with Immunotherapy?
Immunotherapies may be given:
- Intravenously (directly into a vein)
- Topically (creams or ointments)
- Via injections, either subcutaneously (under the skin) or Intramuscularly (into a muscle)
- Directly into a particular body cavity to treat a specific cancer tumour site
Immunotherapy can operate as a standalone means of cancer treatment, or it can be combined with other cancer remedies.
How to tell if Immunotherapy is Working?
Treatment of cancer via chemotherapy or radiation often cause a drastic change in the size of cancerous tumors, which is measurable and can be monitored through CT/MRI/Pet Scan and through changes in cancer cell marker levels in the blood. A patient’s response to Immunotherapy cannot be measured in the same way. Immunotherapy methods can take more time to effectively work as they encourage the patient’s own immune system to attack the cancerous tumor.
Thus, the tumor may continue to grow, despite the fact that immunotherapy is being delivered. Also, the speed of response may vary according to the type of immunotherapy being administered. While receiving immunotherapy, your healthcare team will monitor your disease status and any adverse side effects throughout the course of the treatment, though it may take weeks for a measurable response from your immune system.
What is the Current Research in immunotherapy?
Current cancer research on immunotherapy includes:
- Finding out the right combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors and other types of immunotherapy to overcome the body's resistance to treatment.
- Finding out a way to predict the possible results after treatment, and finding out about which patients will respond to which type of immunotherapy.
- Finding out how cancer cells evade the immune system.
- How to reduce adverse effects of cancer treatment.
Cancer Healer Center is one the leading Immunotherapy clinics in India. This Center has been successful in treating more than 3200 patients till date. As per Nikolai Lenin 'The most important thing in illness is never to lose heart'. Immunotherapy cancer treatment in India aims to a future with a long and healthy life, not living in the shadows of Cancer but light.
For more information on cancer diagnosis or cancer treatment contact us now and book your appointment.
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