IMMUNOTHERAPY IN CANCER

Global Heath and Cancer Care > IMMUNOTHERAPY IN CANCER

IMMUNOTHERAPY IN CANCER in Guntur

Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that stimulates or enhances the body’s own immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. Unlike chemotherapy, which directly attacks cancer cells, immunotherapy helps the immune system do the work.

Key Types of Immunotherapy:

  1. Checkpoint Inhibitors
    • Block proteins (like PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA-4) that stop immune cells (T-cells) from attacking cancer.
    • Examples:
      • Pembrolizumab (Keytruda)
      • Nivolumab (Opdivo)
      • Atezolizumab (Tecentriq)
    • Common in melanoma, lung, kidney, bladder cancers, and more.
  2. CAR T-Cell Therapy (Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cells)
    • Patient’s T-cells are collected, genetically modified to target cancer cells, then reinfused.
    • Mainly used in blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma.
  3. Cytokine Therapy
    • Uses substances like interleukin-2 (IL-2) or interferons to boost immune activity.
    • Less common now but historically used in kidney cancer and melanoma.
  4. Cancer Vaccines
    • Preventive (e.g., HPV vaccine) or therapeutic (e.g., Provenge for prostate cancer).
    • Help the immune system recognize and attack cancer.
  5. Monoclonal Antibodies (mAbs)
    • Lab-made antibodies that bind to specific cancer cell targets or flag them for the immune system.
    • Examples: Rituximab, Trastuzumab (Herceptin)
  6. Oncolytic Virus Therapy
    • Uses genetically modified viruses that infect and kill cancer cells while alerting the immune system.
    • Example: T-VEC for melanoma

Benefits of Immunotherapy:

  • Can lead to long-lasting remissions
  • Often has fewer side effects than chemotherapy
  • Can be effective even in advanced or metastatic cancers

Common Side Effects (usually immune-related):

  • Fatigue, skin rashes, diarrhea
  • Inflammation of healthy organs (e.g., pneumonitis, colitis, hepatitis, thyroiditis)
  • Treated with steroids or immunosuppressants when needed

Who Benefits Most?

  • Patients with tumors that express high levels of PD-L1
  • Tumors with high mutational burden or microsatellite instability
  • Certain blood cancers responsive to CAR T therapy

Challenges and Future Directions:

  • Not all patients respond
  • Risk of immune-related adverse events
  • Ongoing research into combining immunotherapy with chemo, radiation, or targeted therapies