Immunotherapy: Cancer Treatment, CAR T-Cell Therapy ...

Immunotherapy (biological therapy), an evolving and promising cancer treatment, works by stimulating the immune system. Immunotherapy drugs ... ComingtoaClevelandCliniclocation?Visitation,maskrequirementsandCOVID-19information Home / HealthLibrary / Treatments&Procedures Immunotherapy Immunotherapy(biologicaltherapy),anevolvingandpromisingcancertreatment,worksbystimulatingtheimmunesystem.ImmunotherapydrugsincludeCART-celltherapyandcheckpointinhibitors.Treatmentscanfuelthebody’sproductionofcancer-fightingcellsorhelphealthycellsidentifyandattackcancercells. Appointments&Access ContactUs Overview ProcedureDetails Risks/Benefits RecoveryandOutlook WhentoCalltheDoctor Immunotherapy Overview ProcedureDetails Risks/Benefits RecoveryandOutlook WhentoCalltheDoctor BackToTop Overview Whatisimmunotherapy? Immunotherapyisacancertreatmentthatengagesyourimmunesystemtofightthedisease.Thetreatmentissometimescalledbiologicaltherapy. Whatistheimmunesystem? Yourimmunesystemismadeupofvariousorgans,antibodies(proteins)andimmunecellsthatworktogethertofightdiseaseandinfections.Immunecellsinclude: B-celllymphocytes:Thesewhitebloodcellsproduceinfection-fightingantibodies. T-celllymphocytes:Thesewhitebloodcellstargetanddestroydiseasedcells.T-cellsalsoalertothercellstothepresenceofdiseasedorforeigncells. Dendriticcells:TheseimmunecellsinteractwithT-cellstostimulateanimmunesystemresponse. Granulocytes:Thesewhitebloodcells—neutrophils,eosinophilsandbasophils—fightinfections. Howdoesimmunotherapywork? Immunecellsproducecytokines,proteinmoleculesthatactonothercells.Immunotherapyintroduceslargeamountsoftheseproteinsintothebody.Thetreatment: Stimulatestheimmunesystemtoproducemoredisease-fightingimmunecells. Makesiteasierfortheimmunesystemtoidentifyandtargetcancercells. Whatdoesimmunotherapytreat? Immunotherapytreatsdifferenttypesofcancers,includingbutnotlimitedto Bladdercancer. Braincancer(braintumor). Breastcancer. Cervicalcancerandovariancancer. Colorectal(colon)cancer. Headandneckcancer. Kidneycancer,livercancerandlungcancer. Leukemia. Prostatecancer. Skincancer. Lymphoma Themaintypesofimmunotherapythathealthcareprovidersusetotreatcancerinclude: Adoptivecelltherapy:Healthcareprovidersremove,changeandthenreintroduceaperson’smodifiedimmunecellsintothebody.Themodifiedcellsseekoutanddestroycancercells.CART-celltherapymodifiesT-cellswithchimericantigenreceptors(CAR)thatfightcancer.Othertherapiesincludenaturalkillercells(NKs)andtumor-infiltratinglymphocytes(TILs). Cancervaccines:Vaccinesstimulateanimmuneresponsetoprotectthebodyagainstcertaindiseases.Thehumanpapillomavirus(HPV)vaccineprotectsagainstaninfectiousdiseasethatcausescervical,anal,throatandpenilecancers.There’salsoavaccineforhepatitisB,whichcauseslivercancer. Immunomodulators:Thesesubstanceschangethebody’sbiologicresponse.Theystimulatetheimmunesystem’sabilitytofindandkillcancercells.Treatmentsincludecheckpointinhibitors,cytokines,interferonandinterleukins. Monoclonalantibodies:Theselab-madeproteinsattackspecificpartsofacancercell.Monoclonalantibodiescanalsodeliverdrugs,toxinsorradioactivematerialdirectlytotumors. Oncolyticviruses:Specialistschangethesevirusesinthelaboratory.Themodifiedvirusesinfectandkillcancercells. ProcedureDetails Howisimmunotherapyperformed? Immunotherapyisperformedasinfusion.Yougetanintravenousinfusionintoaveinatamedicalfacility. HowlongwillIgetimmunotherapy? Youmaygetimmunotherapydaily,weekly,monthlyorinacycle.Withcyclicimmunotherapy,youtakearestperiodaftertreatment.Thebreakgivesyourbodytimetoproducehealthycells.Treatmentlengthdependson: Cancertypeandstage. Typeofimmunotherapydrug. Yourbody’sresponsetotreatment. WhatshouldIexpectafterimmunotherapy? Unlikechemotherapy,immunotherapymaynotalwayscausetumorshrinkage.Rarely,tumorstemporarilyswellorgetbiggerasimmunecellsattackthecancerevenwhenpatientsarefeelinggreat.Thisphenomenonisknownaspseudoprogression.Thetermmeansthatatumoronlyappearstobeworseningandpatientsmaystillbederivingbenefit. You’llneedtoseeyourhealthcareprovideroftentotracktreatmentresponse.Youmayhavefrequentphysicalexams,bloodtestsandimagingscans. Risks/Benefits Whatarepotentialrisksorcomplicationsofimmunotherapy? Sideeffectsfromimmunotherapyvarydependingonthedrugandcancertypes.Youmayexperience: Infusion-relatedreactions. Diarrheaorcolitis. Boneormusclepain. Fatigue. Flu-likesymptoms,suchasfeverandchills. Headaches. Lossofappetite. Mouthsores. Skinrash. Shortnessofbreathorpneumonitis. RecoveryandOutlook Howeffectiveisimmunotherapy? Successratesforanycancertreatment,includingimmunotherapy,dependonindividualfactors,includingthecancertypeandstage.Ingeneral,immunotherapyiseffectiveagainstmanycancers.Whilesomecancersaremoreimmunogenicthanothers,ingeneral,immunotherapyiseffectiveacrossawidevarietyofcancers.Immunotherapycanproducedurableresponsesunlikechemotherapyorradiation,however,theseoccuronlyinaround25%patients. Someresearchsuggeststhattheimmunesystemmayremembercancercellsafterimmunotherapyends. WhentoCalltheDoctor WhenshouldIcallthedoctor? Youshouldcallyourhealthcareproviderifyouexperience: Heartpalpitationsorchestpain. Signsofinfection,suchasfeverandchills. Troublebreathingorswallowing. Diarrheaorcolitis. Alteredmentalstatus. Skinrash. AnotefromClevelandClinic Immunotherapyholdsalotofpromisefortreatingandcuringcancers.Thetherapytreatsawiderangeofcancers.Manyclinicaltrialsareunderwaytofindnewwaystoengagethebody’simmunesystemtofightcancer.Youmayreceiveimmunotherapyasastandalonetreatmentoralongwithothercancertreatments.Yourhealthcareprovidercandiscusswhetherimmunotherapyistherighttreatmentforyou. Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Print Getuseful,helpfulandrelevanthealth+wellnessinformation enews ClevelandClinicisanon-profitacademicmedicalcenter.Advertisingonoursitehelpssupportourmission.Wedonotendorsenon-ClevelandClinicproductsorservices. Policy RelatedInstitutes&Services ClevelandClinicCancerCenter ClevelandClinicCancerCenterprovidesworld-classcaretopatientswithcancerandisattheforefrontofnewandemergingclinical,translationalandbasiccancerresearch. 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