An Introduction to Cancer Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy represents an exciting new frontier in the battle against cancer. This innovative treatment approach utilizes the power of the body’s immune system to precisely identify and destroy cancer cells. Unlike broad-acting conventional therapies like chemotherapy and radiation, immunotherapy offers a way to provide targeted treatment that causes less damage to healthy cells. The immunotherapy required best practice and experience to perform. Bangalore recently grew as a medical hub in Karnataka. Some of the hospitals like HCG Kalingarao Road, HCG off Double Road, Cytecare Cancer Hospital Bangalore are famous cancer hospitals for immunotherapy.

The basics of immunotherapy

Immunotherapy works by enhancing or restoring the immune system’s natural ability to recognize and kill cancer cells. Substances produced in the body or created in a laboratory are used to bolster the body’s defences against cancer. This may involve:

• Stimulating the activities of specific components of the immune system.
• Enhancing the immune system’s ability to detect cancer cells.
• Providing immune system cells to attack tumours.
• Disrupting signals that prevent immune cells from recognizing cancer cells.

There are several approved types of immunotherapy for use against a variety of cancer types:

Monoclonal antibodies – These lab-engineered immune system proteins are designed to bind to specific targets on cancer cells. Some mark cancer cells for destruction while others block cell growth signals.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors – These drugs block proteins on immune T-cells or cancer cells that shut down immune responses. This releases the brakes on T-cells to allow them to kill cancer.

Cancer vaccines – Vaccines stimulate the immune system to recognize and attack specific cancer cells. They may contain cancer cell components or molecules on cancer cell surfaces.

Adoptive cell transfer – Immune cells, especially T-cells, are removed, genetically modified, and grown in the lab before being returned to the patient to more effectively target their cancer.

Cytokines and growth factors – Proteins made in the body that occur naturally to stimulate anti-tumor immune responses can also be generated in the lab.

Expanding applications against numerous cancer types

The first significant success for immunotherapy came in the 1990s when the FDA approved interferon-alpha to treat hairy cell leukaemia. Since then, immunotherapy has been transforming the outlook for many cancer patients.

In 2011, the drug ipilimumab was approved for melanoma, becoming one of the first immune checkpoint inhibitors. Since then, drugs blocking PD-1 and PD-L1 proteins that inhibit T-cells have achieved remarkable response rates against lung, kidney, bladder, head and neck, and other cancers.

Immunotherapy has rapidly become an indispensable weapon against certain cancers. Ongoing clinical trials are revealing expanded potential applications against a growing list of cancer types. These include exploring combinations of different immunotherapies and using them alongside other treatments.

Managing side effects

As with other cancer treatments, immunotherapy can cause significant side effects in some patients. The most common side effects are fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, and reactions at the injection site.

However, as immunotherapy enhances immune system activity, it can also overstimulate immune cells and cause autoimmune reactions affecting healthy tissue. These unique side effects, which can be severe in rare cases, include colitis, hepatitis, skin reactions, nerve damage, hormone gland dysfunction, and inflammation of organs like lungs, kidneys, and heart.

Doctors monitor patients closely for signs of these side effects and provide prompt treatment to manage them if necessary. Immunosuppressants and other medications are used to control overactive immune responses against healthy tissue.

The future of cancer treatment

While questions remain about its long-term outcomes, immunotherapy is rapidly reshaping the cancer treatment landscape. Ongoing research aims to identify reliable biomarkers to determine which patients are most likely to benefit from different immunotherapies.

Doctors are hopeful that refining the use of immunotherapy in coordinated treatment regimens will continue to improve response rates and survival for patients across all types and stages of cancer. By exploiting the power of the immune system, this new generation of therapies promises to make cancer a smaller part of patients’ lives.