Cancer Immunotherapy: A Novel Approach to treat Cancer

Types and Benefits of Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a broad group of cancer therapies that helps stimulate the immune system better to find the cancer cells and destroy them. Cancer immunotherapy is also known as immuno-oncology.

Immunotherapy is for people with a certain kind of cancer which has no results from earlier treatment of cancer including radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Types of immunotherapy:

  • Checkpoint inhibitors is a type of immunotherapy that works by hampering the cancer cell signals, so that the immune system acts on them. The protein receptors help the immune system recognize healthy cells and cancerous cells. The cancer cells, however, signal the immune system that they are normal cells but the immune system recognizes the cancer cells and destroys them.
  • A vaccine is mostly used for a specific type of cancer, that help to prevent the onset of cancer. The vaccines to prevent cancer are of two types:
    • Preventive or prophylactic vaccines help prevent cancer as they fight against cancer-causing viruses. The major virus being human papillomavirus which causes cancer in the genitals, throat or other parts of the body.
    • Therapeutic or treatment vaccine which mainly stimulates the immune system to fight against cancer cells of a specific place. For example, the Bacillus Calmette vaccine is a live vaccine used in cases of bladder cancer. This vaccine results in the stimulation of the immune system to attack the cancer cells.
  • Cytokines are protein molecules that help control and manage the immune system. Cytokines are mainly produced naturally in the body. The Cytokines are released from the cells which work as a messenger for other cells. Cytokines direct other cells when to start an immune attack. The common Cytokines used for the treatment of cancer are:
    • Interleukin is naturally produced in our body which helps the body to fight against cancer and autoimmune diseases also.
    • Interferon-alpha is mainly responsible for fighting against viruses and bacteria, but in cases of cancer, it produces an innate immune cell that helps kill cancer cells.

Benefits of immunotherapy:

The benefits of using immunotherapy are:

  • It works when other treatments for cancer do not show the desired results.
  • It helps the treatment for cancer work better.
  • Has fewer side effects
  • Fewer chances for relapse of cancer.(Know more about Best Oncologists/Oncosurgeons in India.)
Shortcomings of immunotherapy:
  • The treatment requires a long time to work.
  • The area from where the medicines have entered the body can become cold, itchy, turn red and sore with or without swelling.
  • It harms other body organs and systems.
  • Even the correct type of immunotherapy does not work as desired for half of the patient who undergoes immunotherapy.
  • Over time, the body gets used to it thus overpowering the cancer cells.
Side effects of immunotherapy:
  • Fatigue
  • Fever
  • Flu-like symptoms
  • Skin symptoms
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Sometimes serious systemic complications.

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