Medically Reviewed by Karim Tazi, MD

The human immune system is an amazing network of fighting cells. It works hard all day, every day to protect the body from infections, foreign organisms and defective cells in the body. Cancer can survive when malignant cells fool the immune system by hiding, escaping and producing signals that halt the immune system’s assault.

“Today, we’re learning to use a patient’s immune system against cancer,” explains McLeod Oncologist Dr. Karim Tazi. “Immunotherapy is now another essential tool, alongside surgery, chemotherapy and radiation in the cancer fighting armamentarium. Immunotherapy can work several ways to overcome what seemed to be the cancer’s edge in the fight. We can help the immune system stop the cancer from spreading to other parts of the body, slow or stop the cancer cell’s growth or even obliterate malignant cells.”

TYPES OF IMMUNOTHERAPY

• One of the most widely used treatments are Checkpoint Inhibitors. These treatments act to block the cancer cells from shutting down the immune system, opening the way for the immune system to attack the tumor.
• Monoclonal Antibodies are produced in a laboratory and can be used to enable the immune system to destroy the cancer. One way is to mark the cancer so that the immune system can find it and destroy it. They may also be employed as so-called “Targeted Therapy” to block a single abnormal protein in malignant cells hence leading to its death.
• Adoptive Cell Transfer takes white blood cells from your body, engineers them to fight the cancer, grows them in large quantities and gives them back intravenously. They then seek out and destroy cancer cells. Growing the cells can take many weeks during which the patient may receive other forms of cancer therapy.
• Oncolytic Virus Therapy involves genetically modified viruses that infect and trigger a breakdown of cancer cells.
• Cancer Vaccines can be used to treat cancer or prevent cancer.
• Other types of immunotherapy are used to boost a person’s immune system therefore allowing a stronger natural response to a developing cancer.

The ability to successfully treat cancer improves the earlier the tumor or signs of cancer are discovered, diagnosed and treated. According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the role of immunotherapy has grown significantly over the past few years. Research is uncovering better ways to predict how likely the treatment may work and when it should be used.

Additionally, intense research efforts are being devoted to discovering and implementing powerful cancer treatment combinations incorporating immunotherapy, targeted therapy, traditional chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

ACTION YOU CAN TAKE
The ability to successfully treat cancer improves with the earlier that tumors or signs of cancer are discovered, diagnosed and treated.  Don’t wait. If you think you may have cancer, see your personal physician as soon as possible.

Have a question?  Ask a Cancer Specialist.

Sources include: McLeod Health, Cancer Research UK, New York Times, American Cancer Society, American Society of Clinical Oncology