Immunotheraphy : Looks to be promising as a Cancer treatment

Many of us are afraid of Cancer, especially if somebody in the family have one of it. And we know that cancers have many types, almost all organs in the body have cancer type. It is very terrifying, when a doctor diagnose that you have a cancer. It feels like that this is your end. Treatments on cancer had become more advance but theirs not yet those 100% cure.

But don’t lose hope, lately a new type treatment had been discovered for cancer, however this is not new, it may be around for many years. Only this time, it had more promising result than those previous years. And only this time, many scientist focuses this type of treatment.

Chemotherapy is one of the common treatment for cancer, especially if the cancer is in the early stage of it. Chemotherapy directly attacks those cells both normal and cancerous, which means that it have many direct effects in our body. Another one treatment is operation of a certain part, this is done also in early stage if the cancer is in the breast, liver, etc. This two are best option for treating the cancer in the past few years.

Lately, a treatment called “Immunotheraphy” is currently been on studies and undergo many clinical trials. Immunotherapy is a type of treatment that uses the body’s immune system to help fight disease, especially cancer.

Types of Immunotheraphy

Drugs (Checkpoint Inhibitors), this is most common drugs being used as immunotherapy for cancer. This drug block the mechanism by cancer cells use to shut down the immune system. This will free the killer T-cells (critically important part of the immune system) to attack any tumors in the body. This drug had been approved by Food and Drug Administration. It will be given via intravenous.

Cell Theraphy, this type of immunotherapy involves in removing a cell in immune system of the patients, alters it genetically to fight cancer cells, then multiply them in the laboratory and put back to the patient via transfusion. This new type is being individually for every patient and still on the experimental stage.

Bispecific antibodies, this an alternative to cell therapy, which does not require individualizing treatment for each patient. These antibodies are proteins that can be attach both on cancer cells and T-cells, bringing them together so that T-cells can attack the cancer cells. The example drug of this, “Blincyto” which has been approved to treat the rare type of Leukemia.

Vaccines, another form of immunotherapy but it is less successful than others. Cancer vaccines are aimed to treat person that has cancer already on it. This idea is to prompt that immune system attack cancer cells when presented by some piece of cancer cells. Provenge, for prostate cancer is the only approved vaccines approved in the U.S. And another is BCG, which prevent Tuberculosis, also use to treat bladder cancer.

Types of Cancer being treated with Immunotherapy

For checkpoint Inhibitors had been approve to treat advance “melanoma”, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and cancers of the lungs, kidneys and bladder. But this drugs also is being tested for other cancer type.

The cell therapy is mostly used for blood cancers, such leukemia and lymphoma.

Example of Checkpoint Inhibitors

Only four are now in the market:

1.       Yervoy (ipilimumab) and Opdivo (nivulomab) by Bristol-Myers Squibb

2.       Keytruba (pembrolizumab) by Merck

3.       Tecentriq (atezolizumab) by Genentech

The effectiveness of the Immunotherapy

Most of the cases, immonutherapy have been successful but only works on the minority of the patients. About 20%-40% of the patients had been helped by Checkpoint Inhibitors, this can be higher among those patients with melanoma. Combining two Checkpoint Inhibitors increases the effectiveness. Some patients with advanced disease have a remission that lasted for years. Some patients the drug don’t work at all or being helped temporarily.

For the cell therapy, it can produce complete remissions in 25% - 90% in patients with lymphoma and leukemia, depending the type of cancer. Some cases the remission lasted for years while others have relapse for a year.

Side Effects of Immunotheraphy

Checkpoint Inhibitor drugs can cause severe problems, including autoimmune illnesses, which the immune system attacks the healthy cells as well as the cancer cells. May result on inflammation. For the lungs may cause some breathing problems, diarrhea for intestines. Joint and muscle pain, and rheumatoid arthritis can also occur. The immune system can attack also vital glands like thyroid and pituitary. This following side effects are dangerous but can be controlled by the use of “steroids medicines” such prednisone.

Also Cell Therapy, can lead to severe and potentially fatal reactions resulting the overstimulation of the immune system. This reactions though can be controlled, but many patients may need to be treated at intensive care unit.

The Cost of Immunotherapy

Checkpoint Inhibitors can cost around $150,000 per year (for U.S.). Many insurer will pay if it is being approved for the type of cancer the patients has. But this drugs can be free if the patients participate in clinical trials.

Many manufacturers don’t have any comment about the price for the cell therapy, assuming that they will the approval and reach the market. But many experts believes that it will around hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Availability of Immunotherapy

Any oncologist you have can prescribe the Checkpoint Inhibitors that are available in the market. Through volunteering for clinical trials those drug that are not been approved for certain cancer type, you may get it for free.

Cell therapies are only available through clinical trials now. Most of the major study sites are on major medical centers (U.S).

Information about clinical trials of Immunotherapy

Cancer Research Institute website

Calling this number 1-855-216-0127 (Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. E.T.).

ClinicalTrials.gov – another source.