Immunotherapy is one of the effective cancer treatments that involve boosting the natural defence of the body to fight against the cancerous cells. Out of all the cancer treatments available including chemotherapy, radiation, stem cell transplant, and targeted therapy, immunotherapy seems to be the reliable one. In fact, the therapy can boost the other treatments. The therapy involves boosting the natural defence mechanism of the system to fight against all the cancerous cells. After all, the human immune system is a complex process. It involves organs, cells, and proteins. Generally, when a person is diagnosed with cancer, the cancerous cells destroy the natural defence system, allowing the cells to grow rapidly. The immunotherapy treatment uses bodily substances to improve the immune system. There are different types of immunotherapy available. Each of the treatments offers unique advantages to people. The leading cancer immune-therapists are introducing customized treatments in cancer o provide the best treatments to patients. Let’s take a look at the different types of immunotherapy treatments available for treating cancer,
Types of Immunotherapy Treatment:
Generally, the immune system destroys the abnormal cells after detecting them. So, they naturally prevent the growth of cancerous cells. For instance, these immune cells can be found in tumours. It’s called tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes. This shows that the immune system is fighting off the tumour. So, the immune cells have the natural ability to fight off the cancerous cells. But, this isn’t as easy as it seems. It’s because the cancerous cells have their own ways to avoid the destruction of the immune system. This is why leading immune-therapists like Dr Sharmin have been leveraging the power of immunotherapy treatment to boost the immune system. Let’s take a look at the different types of immunotherapy treatments for cancers,
- Monoclonal Antibodies or Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
If the immune system detects anything harmful, it instantly produces antibodies to fight against the infection. However, the cancerous cells may have any genetic changes for which they’re less visible to the natural defence system. So, the cells can easily make their way. So, monoclonal antibodies are the drugs that help to block the immune checkpoints. Further, this boosts the natural antibodies of the body to fight against cancer. There are different ways how these monoclonal antibodies function. Firstly, they can block the abnormal proteins of the cancerous cells. Secondly, they can boost the immune system by inhibiting the immune checkpoints. The cancerous cells often find hidden ways to attack the human system by activating the checkpoints. But, checkpoint inhibitors can help to prevent the cancerous cells from activating the immune system. Some of the examples of checkpoint inhibitors include nivolumab, atezolizumab, durvalumab, and permbrolizumab.
- Oncolytic Virus Therapy
Oncolytic virus therapy helps to destroy cancer cells. The doctor injects the modified virus into the tumour. Then, the virus enters cancerous cells to make a copy. As a result, the cancerous cells burst and die. This further helps to release the proteins of these cancerous cells and trigger the immune system. This is an FDA-approved treatment for treating later stages of cancers which can’t be cured with surgery. The virus used in the treatment is called talimogene laherparepvec. It’s an advanced version of the herpes simplex virus. Doctors are testing other viruses for treating different types of cancers.
- T-Cell Transfer Therapy
T-cell transfer therapy is a treatment that helps to boost the natural ability of the T cells to fight against cancer. Basically, these T-cells are the immune cells that help to fight infection. During this T-cell therapy, the doctors take out the immune cells from the tumour. Then the most active cells are chosen in the laboratory and modified to attack the cancerous cells most effectively. Once the cells are grown, these are put back into the system by using a needle. It’s one of the most effective immunotherapy treatments out of all.
Why Should You Choose Immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy treatment is an approved medical treatment to treat several types of cancers. These are prescribed by the leading oncologists and immune-therapists across the world. After years of research and testing, doctors now can offer customized immunotherapy treatment to cure the patients. It’s because each type of immunotherapy may not work well on all patients. Depending upon the nature of the disease and the nature of the immune system, doctors leverage the ideal type of therapy to treat cancer. Scientists are leading to unique strategies to provide customized treatments to patients so that they can respond better. The treatment is already helping millions of people to fight against cancer. After all, it’s one of the most life-threatening diseases in the world. Therefore, it needs to be treated with proper care. People must consult with expert immune-therapists before starting the therapy.
