Immunotherapy is the latest and most powerful treatment for many forms of cancer. It is aimed at ensuring that the body learns to fight cancer cells on its own.
How is cancer immunotherapy used at different stages?
The expediency of immunotherapy is to combat malignant neoplasms, as well as oncohematological diseases. Treats cancer at any stage, including the most advanced. And traditional methods in oncology can defeat the disease only in the early stages.
Let's consider how immunotherapy is used in oncology at various stages:
- The disease at the first stage consists only in the appearance of malignant cells, at the second a localized tumor is formed. The most commonly used surgical treatment, radio and chemotherapy. Immunotherapy is prescribed as an additional remedy.
- Hospice for cancer patients is where terminally ill patients with terminal cancer end up. Here, if possible, they prolong life, including with the help of immunotherapy.
- In the third stage of cancermetastasis occurs. The last or fourth stage of the disease is manifested by relapses. The disease at these stages is already difficult to cure using only traditional methods, so immunotherapy is used as the main method of treatment.
Cancer immunotherapy is a promising and young direction in the treatment of cancer. Due to the youth of this method, it has many opponents.
They have sound arguments and facts obtained as a result of the formation of immunology as a science.
Like any new technique, immunology has not yet been fully explored. It is only at the beginning of its journey, but, perhaps, it will soon become the main method of treating most diseases, because the main thing is not to harm the body, but to help in overcoming 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 sure that the body is activated. 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 - anticancer drugs.
These medicines contain a certain amount of the following active ingredients:
- cytokines;
- monoclonal antibodies.
When they enter the body, they begin to destroy malignantcells, 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 do not occur in this case.
Manufacture of anticancer biological drugs is made for each sick person individually. 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 cellular material from donors, that is, people who have exactly this type of cancer. The resulting substance is processed in a special way, after which it is injected into the patient's body by injection. The vaccine starts working instantly.
Cancer immunotherapy, despite this, is a long process, since several months will pass from the moment the vaccine enters the body until the tumor is completely destroyed.
The close attention of doctors is directed to the patient during this entire period. Specialists monitor the dynamics of the patient's condition.
How do his chances increase? Cancer cure in patients who have undergone immunotherapy occurs with a probability of 60 to 80%. That's pretty high.
Immunotherapy, radiation in oncology: consequences
The body learns to recognize cancer cells and destroy them through immunotherapy. The drugs used are non-toxic. Therefore, there are no side effects as suchobserved, such as, for example, gives chemotherapy or radiation in oncology. The consequences are quite unpleasant. They present with the following symptoms:
- nausea and vomiting;
- diarrhea;
- skin problem;
- complete hair loss;
- weakness.
But in a small number of cases, the body may respond with the following symptoms to immunotherapy:
- Inflammation of mucous membranes.
- Nausea.
- Rash or any other allergic reaction.
- Low pressure.
Are there contraindications for immunotherapy?
Side effects, as mentioned above, usually do not occur with immunostimulation. 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 ruled out.
Immunotherapy for oncology is complemented by natural methods. You can raise the defenses of cancer patients by the following activities:
- 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.
- Phytotherapy. Some types of plants contribute to the death of cancer cells. licorice root,For example, it produces a pronounced anti-cancer effect. This is confirmed by numerous reviews of experts. Oncological growth is suspended, specific immunity is developed thanks to this plant.
- Aerotherapy. A cancer patient is subjected to a strictly dosed exposure to oxygen. Achieving a 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 ways to rehabilitate the operated patient.
Cancer immunotherapy should be based on both traditional means and methods of non-traditional stimulation of immunity.
Interesting research on immunity and oncology
Every person is daily at risk of contracting various types of cancer. This has been confirmed by new scientific research. Every year, cancer is diagnosed in 15 million people inhabiting our planet. This figure is quite impressive. But there is no need to panic. It is necessary to obtain as much information as possible on this topic. Cancer treatments are constantly improving.
For what reasons do some people develop cancer, while others can live a lifetime and never get sick?
The secret is in the body's own defenses. Immunity is aimed at protecting against various viruses, infections, and also against cancer. This is provided by special cells - cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. They arerecognize atypical cells, as well as their proteins, which appear in the body by mutation. After that, they neutralize them, preventing the development of a tumor. A he althy body does not need external antitumor agents.
All this leads to the following three conclusions:
- Oncological diseases are most often diagnosed in older people, because their immune defenses are already weakened. She is no longer able to recognize abnormal cells.
- In children and in people under 25 years of age, the immune defense is not yet fully functional - these people have the most severe cancer.
- It is necessary to constantly increase the body's defenses in order to prevent and cure cancer.
Immunotherapy (reviews confirm this) is based on the latter conclusion. This is a new branch of oncology, developing at a very fast pace, proving its effectiveness. The level of immunotherapy in oncology is high abroad. There are a large number of special drugs, research in this direction is constantly being carried out, and new drugs are being developed and searched for. Immune preparations in oncology are best used in Israel. There, clinics are leaders in the treatment of cancer (for example, stomach cancer is cured in 80% of cases).
What's new in immunotherapy today?
Immunotherapy can be combined with other cancer treatments to increase the impact on cancer cells.
With the help of radioimmunotherapy, for example, they fight cancer. A radioactive isotope is fixed tomonoclonal antibodies or activation of T-helpers by radiomagnetic particles. The Weizmann Institute of Israel has created the first vaccine for the treatment of leukemia (blood cancer). Her tests were successful, so she was put into production. The patent belongs to Western pharmaceutical companies.
Many are interested in the question of what is the name of the analysis for cancer cells. It is often referred to as an analysis for tumor markers. A laboratory specialist evaluates some of them, by their presence one can judge the work of internal organs.
New research has confirmed that cancer can be destroyed by certain pathogens. These include:
- viruses;
- clostridia;
- various bacteria;
- yeasts, etc.
Vector antitumor vaccines are created on their basis. If these microorganisms are processed in a certain way in a laboratory, then the body will not get sick. But a sharp production of immune bodies will occur. These immune bodies are, among other things, antitumor.
Advantages 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 - transfer information between immune cells.
- Gamma-interferons - are 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 progenitor cells, neutralize malignant cells when mixed with them.
- TIL-cells - laboratory conditions help to obtain these cells from tumor tissue or metastases, after which they are grown and processed according to a certain principle.
- Cancer vaccines - they are provided by the patient's existing tumor. Either the cancer cell itself is used, which is deprived of the ability to multiply, or the tumor antigen, which, when introduced into the body, stimulates the production of antitumor antibodies. Now the most common vaccine is the one that treats cervical cancer.
The list of drugs does not end here, there are others, but they are less common. Can be combined with each other, as well as combined with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
After them, atypical cells will be weakened, so they will be easier to neutralize. This way you can completely defeat cancer. Metastases will not spread throughout the body.
As a result, the dose of toxic chemotherapy drugs can be reduced. And the means for immunotherapy are not toxic, so they are not able to cause any side effects, unlike chemotherapy. They have no contraindications.
Use of immunotherapy for various types of cancer
As already mentioned, in all forms and stagesimmunotherapy may be used.
Radiotherapy and chemotherapy cause many side effects and are difficult to tolerate. This is not the case with immunotherapy. Scientists are constantly developing new drugs, which are divided into groups. Consider what remedies can be prescribed for various cancers:
- For lung cancer - Patritumab, Bavituximab, Rilotumumab.
- For kidney cancer - drug MPDL3280A, drug CT-011, Nivolumab.
- For prostate cancer - PROSTVAC-VF, Sipuleucel-T, Ipilimumab, GVAX vaccine, ProstAtak.
- For stomach cancer - drug SU11248. Gastric cancer responds particularly well to immunotherapy.
Where can I get treated with immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy is becoming more and more widespread in the world. Doctors tend to use immune stimulation in the treatment of a large number of cancers.
But this method is quite young in cancer therapy. Only the last ten years it has been used most actively. Immunotherapy for skin cancer is well established.
Protocols for the treatment of cancer patients with immunotherapy are available in all modern clinics around the world. But most often it is only maintenance therapy. Radiation therapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy are prescribed in combination.
Immune cells carry out an enhanced fight against cancer.
This method is unique, so the best clinics are increasingly trying 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 be cured of cancer. This is due to the high number of recoveries. New methods, including immunotherapy, make this possible.
Israeli scientists are developing more and more new drugs, foreign colleagues are helping them.
The most popular among them are the following:
- TIL-cells.
- Various cancer vaccines. They can also be used for prevention.
- Killer cells.
Vaccines have proven to be effective, in particular they:
- Prostate cancer treated.
- Treat metastatic cancer.
- Treat and prevent cervical cancer.
Israeli clinics have in stock all immune preparations - both domestic and foreign. Available to everyone, the selection is carried out on an individual basis, but with the condition that it be the best option for the patient.
Melanoma is treated very well here, as TIL cell therapy is combined with drugs. Moreover, even the metastatic form of melanoma is treatable. At the same time, the body is simultaneously cleansed of toxins, cytokines are introduced. Prostate cancer and vaccination are also well compatible. First, the tumor is surgically removed, then the vaccine is administered.
New drugs are constantly entering the clinic altrials, as reported in the media.
How much does cancer immunotherapy cost? Immunotherapy of cancerous tumors is an expensive method of treatment, since obtaining biological drugs is quite difficult.
Also, the development of genetic engineering and molecular chemistry are used in immunotherapy. A large number of various drugs from the arsenal of oncology are involved in the treatment. They are selected individually.
How much does a course of immunotherapy cost? 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;
- grade of malignancy.
Only in relation to a specific person, it is possible to determine the cost of immunotherapy for cancer.
Cancer treatment is a rather complicated process that takes both strength and money. It is difficult both physically, and morally, and financially. You need to be patient in the fight against this terrible disease.
