Immunotherapy is the latest and most effective method used in the treatment of many forms of cancer. It aims to ensure that the body has learned to fight cancer cells on its own.
How is cancer immunotherapy applied at different stages?
The usefulness of immunotherapy is to combat malignant neoplasms, as well as oncohematological diseases. It treats cancer at any stage, including at the latest. And traditional methods in oncology can defeat the disease only in the early stages.
Consider how immunotherapy is used in oncology at various stages:
- The disease in the first stage consists only in the appearance of malignant cells, in the second a localized tumor forms. The most commonly used surgical treatment, radio and chemotherapy. Immunotherapy is prescribed as an additional tool.
- Hospice for cancer patients - this is the place where hopeless patients stay who have the last stage of cancer. Here, life is possibly prolonged, including with the help of immunotherapy.
- In the third stage of cancer, metastasis occurs. The last or fourth stage of the disease manifests itself in relapses. The disease at these stages is already difficult to cure using only traditional methods, therefore, immunotherapy is used as the main treatment method.
Cancer immunotherapy is a promising and young area in the treatment of cancer. Due to the youth of this method, he has many opponents.
They have sound arguments and facts obtained as a result of the development of immunology as a science.
Like any new methods, immunology has not yet been fully investigated. It is only at the beginning of its path, but it may soon become the main method of treatment for most diseases, because the main thing is not to harm the body, but to help overcome the disease.
Methods of immunotherapy in the treatment of oncology
The outcome of many diseases depends on the state of the human immune system. To defeat the disease, it is necessary to make the body activate. With his own protective resources, he will fight the tumor.
What is immunotherapy? Biological preparations with antitumor activity are introduced into the body. They are called so - antitumor drugs.
In these medicines, a certain amount of the following active substances is present:
- cytokines;
- monoclonal antibodies.
When they enter the body, they begin to destroy malignant cells, at the same time, the tumor nutrition system is blocked.
Tumor growth stops, the malignant process is blocked. That is, cancer is actually cured. Metastases in this case do not occur.
The manufacture of antitumor biological preparations is carried out individually for each sick person. This is based on the use of biological material, which contains the cells of the tumor itself. Cancer treatments should be used in combination.
In addition, the vaccine can be created on the basis of the cellular material of donors, that is, people who have exactly this type of cancer. The substance obtained in the end is processed in a special way, after which it is injected into the patient's body. The vaccine begins to act instantly.
Despite this, cancer immunotherapy is a lengthy process, since it takes several months from the moment the vaccine enters the body until the tumor is completely destroyed.
The close attention of doctors is directed to the patient throughout this period. Specialists monitor the dynamics of the patient's condition.
How do his chances increase? Cancer cure in patients undergoing immunotherapy occurs with a probability of 60 to 80%. This is a pretty high rate.
Immunotherapy, radiation in oncology: consequences
The body learns to recognize cancer cells and destroy them thanks to immunotherapy. Drugs that are used in this case are not toxic. Therefore, as such, side effects are not observed, such as, for example, chemotherapy or radiation treatment with oncology. The consequences are rather unpleasant. They are manifested by the following symptoms:
- nausea and vomiting;
- diarrhea
- skin problem;
- complete hair loss;
- weakness.
But in a small number of cases, the body can respond with the following symptoms to immunotherapy:
- Inflammation of the mucous membranes.
- Nausea.
- Rash or any other allergic reaction.
- Low pressure.
Does immunotherapy have contraindications?
Side effects, as mentioned above, with immunostimulation usually does not occur. After all, there is no toxic effect on the body of a sick person. Since the forms are nonspecific, there may be some reaction from the body in the form of a slight increase in body temperature. But an allergy associated with individual intolerance is not excluded.
Oncology immunotherapy is supplemented by natural methods. You can increase the protective forces of cancer patients with the following measures:
- Vitamin Therapy. Vitamin complexes, which are included in the diet, accelerate metabolic processes, modify immune resistance and prevent genetic mutation. Vitamins for all forms of cancer can be taken in tablets, as well as with fruits and vegetables, because they are in their composition.
- Herbal medicine. Some plant species contribute to the death of cancer cells. Licorice root, for example, produces a pronounced anti-cancer effect. This is confirmed by numerous expert reviews. Oncological growth is suspended, specific immunity is produced due to this plant.
- Aerotherapy A cancer patient is exposed to strictly dosed oxygen exposure. The achievement of the therapeutic effect is facilitated by regular walks in the fresh air or inhalation of pure oxygen using a special apparatus. This is an additional anti-cancer technique that is highly effective in oncology. In addition, this is one of the methods of rehabilitation of the operated patient.
Cancer immunotherapy should be based both on traditional means and on methods of unconventional stimulation of immunity.
Interesting research on immunity and oncology
Every person is at daily risk of developing various types of cancer. This was confirmed by new scientific research. Every year, 15 million people living on our planet are diagnosed with cancer. This figure is quite impressive. But do not panic. You need to get as much information as possible on this topic. Cancer treatments are constantly being improved.
For what reasons do some people develop cancer, while others can live their whole lives and not get sick?
The secret lies in the body's own protective resources. The immunity is aimed at protecting against various viruses, infections, as well as against cancer. This is ensured by special cells - cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. They recognize atypical cells, as well as their proteins, which appear in the body through mutations. After which they neutralize them, preventing the development of the tumor. A healthy body does not need external antitumor agents.
All this allows us to make the following three conclusions:
- Cancer is most often diagnosed in older people, because they already have weakened immune defenses. She is no longer able to recognize atypical cells.
- In children and in a person under 25 years of age, the immune defense does not yet work at full strength - in these people, cancer is the hardest.
- It is necessary to constantly increase the body's defenses in order to avoid cancer and to treat it.
Immunotherapy (reviews confirm this) is based on the latest conclusion. This is a new branch of oncology, developing at a very fast pace, proving its effectiveness. The level of immunotherapy in oncology abroad is high. There are a large number of special drugs, research in this direction is constantly being carried out, the development and search for new medicines is ongoing. Oncology-based immune medications are best used in Israel. There, clinics occupy a leading position in the treatment of cancer (for example, oncology of the stomach is cured in 80% of cases).
What is new in immunotherapy today?
Immunotherapy can be combined with other methods of cancer treatment, which will increase the effect on cancer cells.
Using radioimmunotherapy, for example, they fight cancer. The radioactive isotope is fixed to monoclonal antibodies or T-helpers are activated by radio-magnetic particles. The Weizmann Israel Institute was the first to create a vaccine for the treatment of leukemia (blood cancer). Her trials were successful, so she launched into production. The patent belongs to Western pharmaceutical companies.
Many are interested in the question of what is called cancer cell analysis. It is often referred to as tumor marker analysis. A laboratory specialist evaluates some of them; by their presence, one can judge the work of internal organs.
New studies have confirmed that a cancerous tumor can be destroyed by certain pathogens. These include:
- viruses;
- clostridia;
- various bacteria;
- yeast fungi, etc.
Based on them, vector antitumor vaccines are created. If these microorganisms are treated in a specific way in a laboratory, the body will not become ill. But a sharp production of immune bodies will happen. These immune bodies are also anti-tumor.
The benefits of immune drugs in oncology
Immune drugs that are used in foreign clinics for the treatment of oncology are divided into several groups, which contain a certain amount:
- Cytokines - transmit information between immune cells.
- Gamma-interferons - engaged in the destruction of tumor cells.
- Interleukins (interleukin-2) - are responsible for the transfer of information about cancer cells.
- Monoclonal antibodies - detect and destroy cancer cells.
- T-helpers - are highly active immune bodies used for cell therapy.
- Dendritic cells - obtained from blood precursor cells, neutralize malignant cells when mixed with them.
- TIL cells - laboratory conditions help to get these cells from tumor tissue or metastases, after which they are grown and processed according to a specific principle.
- Cancer vaccines - they are provided by an existing tumor in a patient. It uses either the cancer cell itself, which is unable to reproduce, or the tumor antigen, which, when introduced into the body, stimulates the production of antitumor antibodies. Now the most common vaccine is one that treats cervical cancer.
The list of drugs does not end there, there are others, but they are less common. They can be combined with each other, as well as combined with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
After them, the atypical cells will be weakened, so they will be easier to neutralize. So you can completely defeat cancer. Metastases will not spread throughout the body.
As a result, the dose of toxic chemotherapy can be reduced. And immunotherapy drugs are not toxic, so they are not able to cause any side effects, unlike chemotherapy. They have no contraindications.
The use of immunotherapy for various types of cancer
As already mentioned, immunotherapy can be used in any form and stage.
Radiotherapy and chemotherapy cause many side effects and are difficult to tolerate. And with immunotherapy this is not observed. Scientists are developing constantly new drugs, which are divided into groups. Consider what agents can be prescribed for various cancers:
- For lung cancer - Patritumab, Bavituximab, Rilotumumab.
- In case of kidney cancer, MPDL3280A, CT-011, Nivolumab.
- For prostate cancer - PROSTVAC-VF, Sipuleucel-T, Ipilimumab, GVAX vaccine, ProstAtak.
- With gastric cancer, the drug SU11248. Gastric oncology responds particularly well to immunotherapy.
Where can I be treated with immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy is becoming more common in the world. Doctors tend to use stimulation of the immune system in the treatment of a large number of oncological diseases.
But this method is quite young in cancer therapy. Only the last ten years it has been used most actively. Immunotherapy for skin cancer has proven itself.
Cancer treatment protocols with immunotherapy are available in all modern clinics around the world. But most often this is only supportive therapy. Radiation therapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy are prescribed in combination.
Immune cells carry out an enhanced fight against cancers.
This method is unique, therefore the best clinics are trying more and more often to use it in the treatment of cancer. In our country, this practice is also common. The capital is a leader in the use of immunotherapy for cancer. There is a hospice for cancer patients.
The use of immunotherapy in Israel
Many people want to go to Israeli clinics to cure cancer. This is due to the high number of recoveries. New methods make this possible, including immunotherapy.
Israeli scientists are developing more and more new drugs, and foreign colleagues are helping them.
The most popular among them are the following:
- TIL cells.
- Various cancer vaccines. They can be used for prevention.
- Killer cells.
Vaccines have proven effective, in particular they:
- They treat prostate cancer.
- They treat metastatic cancer.
- They treat cervical cancer and prevent it.
Clinics in Israel have all the immune products available - both in-house and foreign. Available to everyone, selection is carried out individually, but with the condition to be the best option for the patient.
Melanoma is treated very well here, since a combination of cellular TIL therapy with drugs is performed. Moreover, even the metastatic form of melanoma is treatable. The body is simultaneously cleansed of toxins, cytokines are introduced. Prostate cancer and vaccination are also well compatible. First, surgical removal of the tumor is performed, then a vaccine is administered.
New drugs are constantly involved in clinical trials, which are reported in the media.
How much does cancer immunotherapy cost? Immunotherapy of cancerous tumors is an expensive treatment method, since obtaining biological products is quite difficult.
Also, the development of genetic engineering and molecular chemistry are used in immunotherapy. The treatment involves a large number of the most diverse drugs from the arsenal of oncology. They are selected individually.
How much is a course of immunotherapy? The price of a course of therapy directly depends on the drugs involved in it, and their cost. It is also influenced by the following characteristics of the disease:
- type of tumor;
- tumor stage;
- prevalence;
- degree of malignancy.
Only in relation to a specific person can the cost of immunotherapy for cancer be determined.
Cancer treatment is a rather complicated process, taking both energy and money. It is difficult both physically, and morally, and materially. It is necessary to have patience in the fight against this terrible disease.