Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is also known as biological therapy. This therapy helps your immune system fight cancer. Your immune system and lymph system’s tissues and organs are made up of white blood cells. They help your body fight off diseases. Immunotherapy increases the strength of the immune system to eliminate cancer. It boosts white cells ability to attack cancer cells.

Doctors and researchers have approved various immunotherapy drugs and prescribe them according to the patient’s type of cancer. If your doctor is suggesting immunotherapy for you, you should discuss many things before opting for it

How Does Immunotherapy work?

This therapy takes up many forms, such as targeting antibodies, tumor-infecting viruses, cancer vaccines, adoptive cell transfer, and cytokines. Immunotherapy uses various substances from living organisms or laboratory-made formulas to fight and control cancer.

Immunotherapy treatment adopts various techniques like genetic engineering and gene therapies. Medical professionals can combine this technique with surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or targeted therapies to improve their results. A patient’s body undergoes different situations during immunotherapy. Immunotherapy works in the following ways.

• This therapy educates the immune system to recognize and kill cancer cells
• It increases the production of white cells and boosts the present cells to prevent cancer.
• It gives body necessary components to enhance the response of the immune system.

Types of Immunotherapy Treatments

The following are the types of immunotherapy treatments:

• Topical: This therapy comes in a cream.
• Intravenous: This includes Intravenous therapy (IV) to deliver fluids directly in the vein. For this type of therapy, injections and syringes can be used at higher pressure to increase effects.
• Intravesical: This therapy delivers specific drugs to the bladder.
• Oral: This treatment includes capsules or pills.

After the treatment, you have to go for regular checkups, scans, and blood tests to know the results of treatments. The response of the treatment depends on the patients. There are chances of some patients not responding to the therapy as well as others.

Pros of the Treatment

There are many benefits of immunotherapy because white blood cells play a great role in preventing and control cancer. Immunotherapy is the best treatment for cancers because of the following reasons.

·       Immunotherapy May Be Best Treatment for You

Sometimes radiation or chemotherapy doesn’t respond to various cancers like skin cancer. However, Immunotherapy has a higher chance of responding to skin cancer.

·       Immunotherapy Boosts Other Treatments

It helps various treatments work better. This includes chemotherapy, which begins responding early when combined with immunotherapy.

·       Fewer Side Effects Compare to Other Treatments

It has fewer side effects compared to other cancer treatments because it only targets your immune system.

·       Prevents Cancer Cells

Immunotherapy educates immune cells to go after cancer cells and kill them. They remember the cancer cells; this is called immunological memory. This therapy helps your body to prevent the development of cancer for a longer time.

Cons of the Treatment

Immunotherapy is not as dangerous as other treatments of cancer, but it has some effects and reactions.

·       Side Effects

Some types of immunotherapy have side effects like flu. Some people also experience diarrhea, swelling, stuffiness, and weight gain.

·       Effects on Organs

Sometimes, the immune system attacks your various organs e.g.: intestine, heart, kidney, and other organs.

·       Bad Reactions

You may have to face pain, redness, itching, swellings, and soreness during the treatment. But it only occurs in areas where medication is applied.

·       Long Treatment

Sometimes it takes longer than any other treatment.

·       Don’t Work On Some People

Some patients don’t respond to this therapy. Half of the people don’t get results of immunotherapy.

·       Stop Working

In some cases, it provides only short-term effects and stops working.

Immunotherapy Is Better Compared to Other Cancer Treatments

Immunotherapy doesn’t have the same side effects of chemotherapy and radiation. It is a better way to treat your cancer.

• Immunotherapy only targets the immune system, while chemotherapy or radiations also target other areas.
• Conventional treatments like radiation and chemotherapy affect cancer cells and healthy tissues because of radiological and chemical therapy. In return, you experience negative side effects.
• Side effects of immunotherapy depend on its type. The side effects are also minor, like misdirection of the immune system. On the other hand, radiation and chemotherapy induce long term effects.