Immunotherapy is a standard treatment for some types of cancer. About 43.6% of cancer patients receive immunotherapy during the course of the disease, accounting for 50% of cancer cure rates. The average 5-year patient survival rate improved from 5.5% to 15%. Now, learn more about immunotherapy.
Learn about cancer immunotherapy
Cancer immunotherapy, or immuno-oncology, is an innovative treatment method that uses the body’s immune system to detect and attack cancer cells. It boosts the immune system’s natural defenses so it can more effectively identify cancer cells and fight them.
There are different types of immunotherapy, including CAR T-cell therapy, cancer vaccines, and immune modulators. Immunotherapy is often combined with other cancer treatments for best results.
Immunotherapy is a more targeted treatment than traditional treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy. Because of this, it avoids the potential damage to healthy tissue that is common with these therapies.
Types of Cancer Immunotherapy
CAR T cell therapy
CAR T-cell therapy is a very complex and specialized treatment. With this treatment, experts collect your T cells and make small changes to them. After a few weeks, a drip containing these cells is returned to your bloodstream. The CAR T cells then recognize and attack the cancer cells. They stay in your body for long periods of time, identifying and attacking specific cancer cells so that when you encounter an infection again, your body can recognize it and attack it immediately.
cancer vaccine
Cancer treatment vaccines are available for people who already have cancer. Cancer vaccines help the body’s immune system recognize and attack cancer cells. When you get a vaccine, it stimulates your immune system to work. The immune system produces antibodies that recognize and attack harmless diseases. Once the body produces these antibodies, it can recognize the disease if you are exposed to it again. so you are protected from it
checkpoint inhibitors
Checkpoint inhibitors are a type of immunotherapy. They block proteins that prevent the immune system from attacking cancer cells. Cancer cells produce high levels of the protein. These drugs shut down T cells when they are actually attacking cancer cells. Therefore, cancer cells are pressing the immune system’s stop button. T cells are no longer able to recognize and kill cancer cells.
Drugs that block checkpoint proteins are called checkpoint inhibitors. They prevent proteins on cancer cells from pressing the stop button. This reboots the immune system and T cells are able to find and attack cancer cells.
What types of cancer can be treated with immunotherapy?
Research shows that cancer immunotherapy can be used to treat the following malignancies:
Bladder Cancer
brain cancer
breast cancer
cervical cancer
colorectal cancer
Esophageal cancer
Head and neck cancer
kidney cancer
leukemia
liver cancer
lung cancer
Lymphoma
melanoma
multiple myeloma
ovarian cancer
pancreatic cancer
prostate cancer
sarcoma
skin cancer
Stomach cancer etc.
Other cancer types…………….
What are the benefits of immunotherapy?
The main advantages of immunotherapy include:
Fewer immediate and long-term side effects
Ability to continue long-term treatment while maintaining a good quality of life
Conventional treatments can cure some cancers, such as peripheral neuropathy, heart problems, surgical complications, lung damage, hormone dysfunction, and memory and cognitive problems
On the other hand, cancer immunotherapy may have fewer immediate and long-term side effects.
Who are the best candidates for immunotherapy?
Whether you are a candidate for immunotherapy depends on the specific type and stage of your cancer, the biomarkers your cancer expresses, and whether current cancer treatment guidelines and data support immunotherapy in certain cases.
You may be a candidate for immunotherapy if:
Genomic testing reveals biomarkers of positive PD-L1 expression, high microsatellite instability, or high tumor mutation load.
You have terminal cancer. Generally speaking, if you have exhausted your traditional treatment options, you may be accepted into a clinical trial that studies the effectiveness of immunotherapy drugs against your type of cancer or genetic markers identified in its DNA.
You have non-small cell lung cancer, especially metastatic or advanced lung cancer. Genomic testing is now part of the guidelines for this type of cancer. Research shows that patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who respond to immunotherapy live longer than those who do not. Some people already take maintenance doses long-term.
In some cases, immunotherapy can be used to reduce the risk of recurrence of non-metastatic cancer after treatment. This is more common in lung cancer and some melanomas.
What should you do if you are interested in immunotherapy?
If you’re wondering if immunotherapy is right for you, learn about treatment options for your specific cancer type.
Some questions to consider asking are:
What’s my overall opinion? Can my cancer be cured?
What is our goal? What is the realistic outcome?
Am I a candidate for genomic testing?
Am I a good candidate for immunotherapy? If so, when do we use it in treatment and what are the common side effects?
Do you have any clinical trials that I might be eligible to participate in?
Try to get genomic testing early in your cancer journey. Some rare genetic mutations have high response rates to targeted therapies, allowing you to live longer with fewer side effects and a better quality of life.
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