Scientists are constantly developing new ways to combat cancer, and today immunotherapy for oncology is one of the most effective methods of treating the disease. One of the main problems of modern medicine is cancer. The mortality rate from cancer is about seven million people in one year.
Cellular immunotherapy-TILs were first developed as an application of vaccination in the control of rabies around the end of the nineteenth century. Now the range of immunological agents is much wider, which makes it possible to treat a wide variety of diseases, in particular oncology. By comparing the effectiveness and risks, scientists came to the conclusion that the use of TNF (tumor necrosis factor) in immunology is much safer than standard chemotherapy.
Immunotherapy in the treatment of cancer is carried out using biological products produced individually for each patient, based on his pathological cells. Immunotherapy can be used for lung cancer; it can also defeat kidney cancer and breast cancer. During oncology of the uterus or prostate cancer, indications for immunotherapy are necessary if the sick person has a desire to preserve reproductive function. This anti-cancer treatment has been proven to be safe, due to the fact that it stimulates the body's natural defenses and does not have side effects like chemotherapy.
What is immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a treatment method that involves a direct effect on the patient’s immune system, and the effect of drugs can have different forms of influence. It can be aimed at both stimulating and suppressing the body’s nonspecific protective abilities. In the first case, drugs force the immune system to work harder to destroy a specific infection and enhance antitumor activity. But sometimes there are cases when it is necessary to suppress the immune system if the cells necessary for recovery are susceptible to destruction.
Previously, in case of allergies, inflammatory processes or the presence of a malignant tumor, treatment using traditional medicine was aimed not at eliminating the cause of pathologies, but at eliminating their consequences. In turn, immunotherapy eliminates the cause of the disease, which allows for the maximum effect of treatment and even complete recovery. In the majority of cases, immunotherapy is carried out using dendritic (spinal cord) cells, which allows achieving the best results.
It is worth noting that one of the main advantages of this method is the absence of serious adverse reactions.
With the help of immunotherapy, today they treat not only oncology, but also tuberculosis, endometriosis, allergies, and even prolong the life of patients with HIV infection. In certain cases, treatment with immunotherapy remains the only option for patients in the final stages of cancer development.
Indications for therapy
The use of immunotherapy is rational for the treatment of any type of oncology. Moreover, this method can be used at all stages of the disease, even in the case of some types of cancer, when patients are no longer curable. If oncology was diagnosed at the initial stages of progression, the use of immunotherapy in combination with other traditional methods of treatment can lead to a complete cure of the patient.
When cancer pathology is detected at the first or second stage, patients are prescribed surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. In this case, cancer immunotherapy can be prescribed by a doctor as an addition to increase the effectiveness of the main treatment. In the third and fourth stages, when metastases begin to spread, tumors are difficult to treat, so immunotherapy is mandatory. Immunological drugs are also prescribed for palliative treatment, when there is no possibility of complete recovery, in order to prolong life and reduce the intensity of clinical manifestations of pathology.
How is immunotherapy performed?
In the treatment of any ailment, in particular oncology, the state in which the immune system is located plays an important role. To cure a disease, it is necessary to use the body’s own defenses so that it fights the tumor. Immunotherapy in oncology involves the administration of special biological agents to the patient, the action of which is aimed at inhibiting tumor growth, as well as stimulating and strengthening the body’s own protective abilities.
Such means include:
- monoclonal antibodies - after administration, they combine with antigens on the surface of tumor cells, stimulating an immune attack on tumor cells;
- cytokines - contribute to the activation of immune processes.
After administration, they begin to fight tumor cells, and first of all, the nutrition of the neoplasm is cut off. As soon as the growth of the tumor is stopped using immunotherapy, the oncological process itself is blocked.
During oncology treatment, immunotherapy drugs are prepared individually for each patient. For this purpose, a biomaterial containing cancer cells is initially taken. The resulting vaccine goes through a processing stage, after which it is administered to the patient and begins to act almost immediately.
A course of oncology treatment using immunotherapy can take a lot of time. For several months, patients are under constant supervision of medical staff. During this period, oncologists evaluate the results of therapy and also carefully monitor the general health of patients.
Types of treatment
Since immunological drugs can have different effects on the body’s immune system, there are different treatment methods:
- immunocorrection;
- immunomodulating therapy;
- immunoreconstruction;
- autoserotherapy;
- autopyotherapy;
- replacement immunotherapy.
To fully understand the principle of cancer treatment with immunotherapy, it is worth familiarizing yourself with each individual type in more detail.
Immunocorrection
This type of therapy is aimed at restoring the proper functioning of parts of the immune system that do not perform their functions. In the process of immunocorrection, patients are given drugs that enhance the body's defense, for example, in the case of a cold, or suppress it, in case of autoimmune diseases or allergies.
Immunomodulatory therapy
The immunomodulatory therapy carried out affects all areas of the immune system, but the principle of action is also aimed at either inhibition or activation of the immune system. In the first case, patients are prescribed immunosuppressants, and in the second, immunostimulants. Oncological processes, when stimulating the body's natural defenses, can not only be inhibited, but even stop completely.
Immunoreconstruction
The purpose of immunoreconstruction involves transplantation of stem cells, which allows you to completely restore and resume the activity of the immune system. Stem cells are used in the treatment of various diseases and have repeatedly proven their effectiveness, for example, in the treatment of diabetes, arthrosis, acute leukemia, as well as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Israeli clinics have been practicing immunoreconstruction for a long time and confirm the high effectiveness of this technique.
Autoserotherapy
In the case of treatment with this method of immunotherapy, patients are given injections of blood, which is taken from themselves or from donors. This whey is initially heated to 56 degrees, and kept at this temperature for half an hour. Only after this is the injection given to the patient. Depending on the disease, the course of therapy can last from 16 to 24 days, with injections performed every two days.
Autotherapy
This type of immunotherapy is similar to autoserotherapy, but instead of blood serum, patients are injected with their own pus. This is necessary so that the body begins to independently produce antibodies to fight the disease. Injections are performed on healthy areas of the skin, and the course of treatment lasts from one to ten days.
Replacement immunotherapy
Sometimes, during the course of the disease, the production of immunoglobulin protein in the human body stops, which suppresses the development of infection. Then it must be administered by injection. This type of immunotherapy is often prescribed to patients with illnesses caused by immunodeficiency.
Immunotherapy drugs in oncology
Obtaining drugs for immunotherapy during oncology treatment is a rather difficult and expensive process. After all, drugs are obtained individually for each patient using the means of molecular biology and genetic engineering. Cancer cells from patients or donors with similar tumors are used for this purpose. Immunological drugs have virtually no effect on healthy cells and tissues of the body, which makes it easier to tolerate the course of treatment and minimize the likelihood of side effects.
Immunotherapy drugs begin to act immediately after entering the body, regardless of the stage of development of oncology, but the results can only be noticed after a certain time. Sometimes it takes months of therapy for the disease to subside, during which the immune system fights cancer.
Despite the fact that immunotherapy is one of the safest methods in the treatment of oncology, there is still a small risk of adverse reactions. This is due to the fact that biologically active components enter the blood of patients along with foreign proteins.
Possible side effects include:
- the appearance of allergies;
- nausea with gusts of vomiting;
- fever;
- weakness;
- pain in muscles and joints;
- impaired functionality of the kidneys, liver and cardiovascular system.
The most serious consequences after immunotherapy for cancer of the lungs and other internal organs include cerebral edema, which can subsequently lead to death.
Also, the disadvantages of immunotherapy in the treatment of oncology include its cost, because sometimes the price of an annual course can reach several hundred thousand dollars.
Most patients cannot afford this treatment. Therefore, traditional methods of treating cancer, such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, are still relevant.
Contraindications
Since immunotherapy drugs do not have a toxic effect on the body, there are almost no significant side effects. Sometimes weakness, a slight increase in temperature or allergies may occur due to individual intolerance. All possible contraindications to immunotherapy for patients with oncology are constantly reviewed by specialists after new research.
The main contraindications include:
- the presence of diabetes mellitus in the stage of decompensation;
- precomatose state or coma;
- cardiac, hepatic or renal decompensated failure;
- bronchial asthma;
- thyrotoxicosis;
- mental disorders;
- taking beta blockers;
- chronic diseases in the acute stage.
Not so long ago, the presence of oncology was also considered a contraindication to immunotherapy, since immunological drugs stimulate the body’s defenses, which contributes to the development of cancer. But soon scientists managed to direct immune cells to fight tumors, which is why this contraindication was revised.
Since there is no vaccine against cancer that could reliably prevent the development of cancer, it is very important to closely monitor your health and undergo regular medical examinations. The earlier cancer is diagnosed, the greater the chances of a successful cure for the patient.
Many promising cancer treatments have failed in clinical trials. But it has every chance of avoiding such a fate: its significance for medicine is already being compared to the discovery of antibiotics and chemotherapy. We tell you what you need to know about the most promising direction in oncology.
What is cancer immunotherapy
Most cancer cells have tumor antigens on their surface—proteins or carbohydrates—that can be detected and destroyed by an alert immune system. Immunotherapy activates the immune system, turning it into a formidable weapon against many types of cancer.
Two types of immunotherapy attract the greatest interest from scientists, doctors and investors:
- Immune checkpoint inhibitors, which take the brakes off the immune system, allowing it to see and destroy cancer;
- CAR T-cell therapy, which makes a more targeted attack on cancer cells.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors block the ability of certain proteins to blunt or weaken the immune system's response to tumor antigens. In normal times, such proteins keep the immune system from being too aggressive, preventing it from damaging the body. But cancer can intercept them, using them to suppress immune reactions (the tumor becomes “invisible” to the immune system).
For the treatment of malignant tumors (including melanoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma, lung cancer, kidney cancer and bladder cancer), 4 drugs that activate the immune system have already been approved: ipilimumab (Ipilimumab, MDX-010, MDX-101), pembrolizumab (Keytruda), nivolumab ( Opdivo) and atezolizumab (Tecentriq).
Jimmy Carter, a former US president, treated inoperable melanoma with pembrolizumab last year. In December 2015, the politician announced that all signs of cancer had disappeared.
CAR T cell therapy uses T cells, a key part of the body's immune system, to treat cancer. They are extracted from the patient's blood, genetically modified in the laboratory to target a specific type of cancer, and injected back into the body. This procedure, available only in clinical trials, is currently used to treat leukemia and lymphoma. The US Food and Drug Administration is likely to approve T-cell therapy in 2017 or 2018. When this technology will reach Ukrainian clinics is a rhetorical question.
Current problems of immunotherapy
Immune checkpoint inhibitors cause tumor shrinkage and tumor stabilization in an average of 20% of patients. Researchers don't yet understand why some cancers don't respond to treatment. For example, immunotherapy is effective for patients with melanoma, but is not useful as a cure.
It is believed that the key to increasing the effectiveness of immunotherapy will be its combination with other treatments. Scientists want to combine checkpoint inhibitors with T-cell therapy, radiation and chemotherapy. But this combination can increase the risk of side effects, causing a devastating blow to healthy cells in the body.
Immunotherapy drugs in oncology
All drugs that are currently used for cancer immunotherapy can be divided into the following groups:
- Cytokines- substances that transmit information between cells of the immune system.
- Gamma interferons- components that directly destroy malignant cells.
- Interleukins- substances that convey information about the presence of malignant cells.
- Monoclonal antibodies- protein components that can detect and destroy cancer cells.
- T helper cells- cells of the immune system that can be used for cell therapy.
- Dendritic cells- cells that are derived from blood precursor cells. When in contact with cancer cells, dendritic cells acquire the ability to destroy tumor formations.
- Cancer vaccines- are created on the basis of materials obtained from a tumor, or antigens that cause the development of a tumor process.
More about vaccines
It should be said in more detail, since recently there has been a lot of interest in them from the scientific community.
Currently, many types of antitumor vaccines have been created. Based on the method of production and action, such vaccines are divided into two main groups:
- Cellular vaccines. They contain tumor cells from the patient himself or from another patient with the same type of cancer.
- Antigen vaccines. Such vaccines include an antigen that is obtained from tumor cells.
As for cellular antitumor vaccines, they contain cancer cells that are deprived of the ability to develop and divide. In this regard, they cannot infect the patient with cancer, but at the same time, such drugs cause the production of immune cells.
Antigen vaccines contain various components of cancer cells, such as some proteins, DNA or RNA. To administer antigen vaccines, special carrier viruses can be used that do not cause disease in humans, but only transfer the necessary material to the human immune system.
An experiment that gives hope for a complete victory over cancer
In January of this year, a group of scientists from Stanford, led by Dr. Ronald Levy, announced sensational news. The cancer vaccine they tested on mice destroyed not only the tumor, but also distant metastases. In this case, mice were given only one injection into the tumor.
This is a new cancer vaccine that consists of two components: a short piece of DNA (necessary to enhance the expression of the receptor on the surface of T cells) and an antibody necessary for the T cells to attack cancer cells. Since these reagents are injected directly into the tumor, they recognize only protein components specific to cancer cells.
Professor of Oncology at Stanford University
Our approach to cancer treatment uses only a one-time injection of an anti-cancer vaccine with low concentrations of reagents. In mice, we observed an amazing result - the elimination of tumors throughout the animal's body. Notably, with this approach there is no need to identify cancer-specific immune targets. It also does not require total activation of the patient’s immune system. There is every indication that this vaccine will be effective against all types of cancer.
So far, Dr. Levy’s treatment method has only been tested on mice. The results are amazing - 87 out of 90 mice were cured of cancer. A relapse was detected in three mice, but it was quickly eliminated after a second course of treatment. The tumor vaccine was tested against lymphoma in mice, but then the same results were obtained in breast cancer, colon cancer and melanoma.
Dr. Levy is currently recruiting a group of volunteers to begin clinical trials of the vaccine in humans.
The main disadvantages of cancer immunotherapy
By “swinging” the immune system, immunotherapy can cause serious damage to healthy tissues and organs. Researchers are working on ways to reduce its potential toxicity, but there is still a lot of work to be done.
Today there are two types of risks associated with immunotherapy:
- Almost all patients experience flu-like symptoms after treatment, including headache and muscle pain; some end up in the intensive care unit.
- Treatment may cause brain swelling and death.
Standard cancer treatments also have dangerous side effects. For example, chemotherapy and radiation therapy to treat childhood leukemia can cause secondary cancers, infertility, and heart damage, but doctors often have to take risks to save lives.
Another significant disadvantage of immunotherapy is its high cost:
- an annual supply of Keytruda will cost the patient 150 thousand dollars a year (3 million 750 thousand hryvnia);
- the cost of 40 ml of ipilirumab exceeds 29 thousand dollars (725 thousand hryvnia);
- more than $2,500 would have to be spent on 100 mg of nivolumab.
While such sky-high figures do not inspire optimism in patients, immunotherapy is a young area in oncology, and the more new drugs appear on the global pharmaceutical market, the lower prices will fall.
Immunotherapy is a newer and more effective method used in the treatment of 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 feasibility of immunotherapy lies in the fight against malignant neoplasms, as well as oncohematological diseases. Treats cancer at any stage, including the most advanced. But traditional methods in oncology are able to defeat the disease only in the early stages.
Let's look at how immunotherapy is used for oncology at various stages:
- In the first stage, the disease consists only of the appearance of malignant cells; in the second, a localized tumor is formed. The most commonly used treatments are surgical treatment, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Immunotherapy is prescribed as an additional treatment.
- A hospice for cancer patients is a place where hopeless patients stay, whose lives are extended whenever possible, including with the help of immunotherapy.
- In the third stage of cancer, metastasis occurs. The last or fourth stage of the disease is manifested by relapses. The disease at these stages is already difficult to treat 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 development of immunology as a science.
Like any new methods, 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 ensure that the body becomes more active. Using its own protective resources, it will fight the tumor.
What is immunotherapy? Biological drugs with antitumor activity are introduced into the body. They are called antitumor drugs.
These medications contain a certain amount of the following active ingredients:
- cytokines;
- monoclonal antibodies.
When they enter the body, they begin to destroy malignant cells, while at the same time the tumor’s nutritional system is cut off.
Tumor growth stops, the malignant process is blocked. That is, cancer is actually cured. Metastases do not occur in this case.
The production of antitumor biological drugs is carried out individually for each sick person. This is based on the use of biological material that contains the cells of the tumor itself. Cancer treatments must be used in combination.
In addition, the vaccine can be created based on cellular material from donors, that is, people who have exactly the same type of cancer. The resulting substance is processed in a special way, after which it is introduced into the patient’s body by injection. The vaccine begins to act 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.
Doctors pay close attention to the patient during this entire period. Specialists monitor the dynamics of the patient’s condition.
How do his chances increase? Cure from cancer in patients treated with immunotherapy occurs with a probability of 60 to 80%. This is quite a high figure.
Immunotherapy, radiation for oncology: consequences
The body learns to recognize and destroy them thanks to immunotherapy. The drugs used in this case are not toxic. Therefore, there are no side effects as such, such as, for example, chemotherapy or radiation for oncology. The consequences are quite unpleasant. They are manifested by the following symptoms:
- nausea and vomiting;
- diarrhea;
- skin problem;
- complete hair loss;
- weakness.
But in a small number of cases, the body may respond to immunotherapy with the following symptoms:
- Inflammation of the mucous membranes.
- Nausea.
- Rash or any other allergic reactions.
- Low pressure.
Are there any 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 cannot be ruled out.
Immunotherapy for oncology is complemented by natural methods. You can increase the defenses of cancer patients by the following measures:
- 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 contain them.
- Herbal medicine. Some plant species promote the death of cancer cells. Licorice root, for example, produces a pronounced anti-cancer effect. This is confirmed by numerous reviews from experts. Oncological growth is suspended, produced thanks to this plant.
- Aerotherapy. A cancer patient is exposed to strictly dosed 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 an operated patient.
Cancer immunotherapy should be based on both traditional means and methods of non-traditional stimulation of the immune system.
Interesting research on immunity and oncology
Every person is at risk of contracting various types of cancer every day. This has been confirmed by new scientific research. Every year, 15 million people inhabiting our planet are diagnosed with cancer. 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 being improved.
For what reasons do some people develop cancer, while others can live their entire lives and never get sick?
The secret lies in the body's own protective resources. Immunity is aimed at protecting against various viruses, infections, as well as cancer. This is provided by special cells - cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. They recognize atypical cells, as well as their proteins, which appear in the body through mutation. After which they neutralize them, preventing the development of a tumor. A healthy body does not need external antitumor agents.
All this allows us to draw the following three conclusions:
- Oncological diseases are most often diagnosed in older people, because their immune defenses are already weakened. It is no longer able to recognize abnormal cells.
- In children and people under 25 years of age, the immune defense is not yet fully operational - in these people, cancer is most severe.
- It is necessary to constantly increase the body's defenses to avoid cancer and to treat it.
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 abroad is high. 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. in oncology they are best used in Israel. There, clinics occupy leading positions in cancer treatment (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 enhance its effect on cancer cells.
With the help of radioimmunotherapy, for example, they fight cancer. A radioactive isotope is fixed to monoclonal antibodies or T-helper cells are activated by radiomagnetic particles. The Weizmann Institute of Israel created the first vaccine for the treatment of leukemia (blood cancer). Its tests were successful, so it was put into production. The patent belongs to Western pharmaceutical companies.
Many people are interested in the question of what the test for cancer cells is called. It is often called tumor marker testing. A laboratory specialist evaluates some of them; by their presence, one can judge the functioning of the internal organs.
New research has confirmed that cancer can be destroyed by certain pathogenic microorganisms. These include:
- viruses;
- clostridia;
- various bacteria;
- yeasts, etc.
On their basis, vector antitumor vaccines are created. If these microorganisms are treated in a certain way in a laboratory, 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 of:
- Cytokines - carry out the transfer of 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.
- Helper T cells are highly active immune bodies used for cell therapy.
- Dendritic cells - obtained from blood precursor 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.
- Anti-cancer vaccines - they are provided by the patient’s existing tumor. Either the cancer cell itself, deprived of the ability to reproduce, or a tumor antigen is used, which, when introduced into the body, stimulates the production of antitumor antibodies. The most widely used vaccine right now is the one that treats cervical cancer.
The list of drugs does not end there; there are others, but they are less common. They can be combined with each other, as well as combined with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
After them, the 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 may be reduced. And immunotherapy drugs are not toxic, so they are not capable of causing any side effects, unlike chemotherapy. They have no contraindications.
The use of immunotherapy in various types of cancer
As already mentioned, immunotherapy can be used for any forms and stages.
Radiotherapy and chemotherapy cause many side effects and are difficult to tolerate. But this is not observed with immunotherapy. Scientists are constantly developing new drugs, which are divided into groups. Let's look at what medications can be prescribed for various cancers:
- For lung cancer - Patritumab, Bavituximab, Rilotumumab.
- For kidney cancer - the drug MPDL3280A, the drug CT-011, Nivolumab.
- For prostate cancer - PROSTVAC-VF, Sipuleucel-T, Ipilimumab, GVAX vaccine, ProstAtak.
- For stomach cancer - the drug SU11248. Gastric cancer responds particularly well to immunotherapy.
Where can I be treated with immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy is becoming more common around the world. Doctors are inclined to use immune stimulation in the treatment of a large number of cancer diseases.
But this method is quite new in cancer therapy. Only in the last ten years has it been used most actively. Immunotherapy for skin cancer has proven itself.
Protocols for treating cancer patients with immunotherapy are available in all modern clinics around the world. But most often this is still only maintenance therapy. Radiation and immunotherapy are prescribed in combination.
Immune cells carry out an enhanced fight against cancer.
This method is unique, so the best clinics are trying to use it more and more often in the treatment of cancer. This practice is also common in our country. The capital is a leader in the use of immunotherapy for cancer. There is a hospice for cancer patients.
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 new drugs, and foreign colleagues are helping them.
The most popular among them are the following:
- TIL cells.
- Various vaccines against cancer. They can also be used for prevention.
- Killer cells.
Vaccines have proven their effectiveness, in particular they:
- Prostate cancer is treated.
- Treat metastatic cancer.
- Cervical cancer is treated and prevented.
Israeli clinics have in stock all immune drugs - both domestically produced and foreign. Available to everyone, selection is carried out individually, but with the condition that it is the best option for the patient.
Melanoma is treated very well here because it is combined with drugs. Moreover, even the metastatic form of melanoma is treatable. At the same time, the body is cleansed of toxins and cytokines are introduced. Prostate cancer and vaccination also go well together. First, the tumor is surgically removed, then the vaccine is administered.
New drugs are constantly included in clinical trials, as reported in the media.
How much does cancer immunotherapy cost? Immunotherapy of cancerous tumors is an expensive treatment method, since obtaining biological drugs is quite difficult.
Developments of genetic engineering and molecular chemistry are also used in immunotherapy. Treatment involves a large number of different drugs from the arsenal of oncology. 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 and their cost. This is also influenced by the following characteristics of the disease:
- type of tumor;
- tumor stage;
- prevalence;
- degree of malignancy.
Only in relation to a specific person can the cost of immunotherapy for cancer be determined.
Cancer treatment is a rather complex process that takes both energy and money. It is difficult physically, morally and financially. You need to be patient in the fight against this terrible disease.
Immunotherapy is a modern way of fighting cancer, the action of which is based on stimulating the body's natural internal defenses.
Immunotherapy drugs support and enhance the functioning of the immune system with minimal side effects for the body. Cancer immunotherapy involves mobilizing all the forces of the immune system in the fight against cancer cells. One version of the method consists of a medicinal effect aimed at activating and modulating the body's defenses, and is called active immunotherapy. There is also passive immunotherapy, in which analogs of elements of the immune system are introduced into the patient’s body, and they already perform a protective function and fight the tumor and metastases. The method is effective for different types of cancer and at different stages of its development. Immunotherapy is possible for breast cancer and lung cancer, the drugs of which will be much more gentle than the drugs used for chemotherapy.
The role of the immune system in the human body
Every day in the human body, the cellular structure is renewed and, along with healthy cells, atypical ones are formed, which, if events develop unfavorably, can turn into a malignant tumor. But in a healthy person, a normally functioning immune system destroys such cells even before tumors can arise. And yet oncology exists.
For what reasons or due to the influence of what factors does the immune system fail to cope with its tasks? The background for the formation of malignant tumors is usually a weakened immune system, which occurs as a result of chronic diseases, stress, poor lifestyle, or immune deficiency as a form of abnormality and, possibly, congenital, genetically determined.
Statistics say that about 85% of cancer cases are explained by exposure to environmental factors, including oncogenic viruses, fungi, carcinogenic and other chemicals. Normally, one’s own mutant cells, as well as cells damaged by external influences, are suppressed by lymphocytes, macrophages and antibodies. Too much and aggressive formation of atypical cells leads to a disease that further weakens the body and its protective functions. The immune system begins to work with errors, mistaking malignant cells for healthy ones, which is why it shows dangerous tolerance to them.
Principles of immunotherapy
Cancer treatment with immunotherapy is a conservative method that can complement other treatments or be used independently. It is especially effective after surgery to remove the tumor to eliminate the likelihood of relapses. In the last stages of the disease, in conditions where other methods have not helped, immunotherapy is also used to stop the growth of metastases.
For example, for the treatment of inoperable or advanced melanoma, checkpoint inhibitors and so-called BRAF-targeted therapy are recommended at the first stage if the patient has a mutation in the BRAF gene. At the second stage, taking into account the patient’s condition, either optimal adjuvant therapy or various inhibitors are prescribed. These are the drugs:
- Opdivo with the active substance Nivolumab for the fight against metastatic melanoma,
- KEYTRUDA with the active ingredient pembrolizumab - a drug that blocks the PD-1 protein
- Yervoy with the active substance Ipilimumab,
- artificial protein that increases the activity of the immune system,
- Intron A® with interferon alfa-2b, intended for adjuvant therapy,
- IL-2 (interleukin 2), which is used to exclude relapses.
The cost of immunotherapy for cancer is quite high, but its effectiveness justifies the expense for those who want to prolong their lives. During immunotherapy, cytokines and monoclonal antibodies are introduced into the patient's blood. They prevent the development of malignant cells, which leads to the destruction of the tumor. The method is applicable to patients from 5 to 60 years old. In the initial stages of tumor detection, such treatment is used in combination with basic methods - surgical, radiological and chemotherapy. If the patient consults a doctor too late, at stage III or even IV, then influencing the immune system may be the only possible way to stop the disease and increase life expectancy.
An important difference between immunotherapy and other methods is its focus. While destroying diseased cells, it does not damage healthy tissue, which is important for any type of disease. For example, immunotherapy for breast cancer allows for maximum preservation of unaffected tissue. The treatment is quite easily tolerated by the patient, does not lead to complications and allows in many cases to make positive prognoses, since the patient’s immune system “turns on”, recognizes tumor cells and destroys them. In this way, long-term remission can be achieved.
Action and side effects
Cancer immunotherapy, the pros and cons of which are actively discussed by the global medical community, has become a breakthrough in the treatment of cancer. Observing positive results during clinical trials of drugs, scientists confirm their activity in the fight against malignant tumors, positive dynamics and cessation of the development of the disease in many patients. Thanks to them, it is possible to increase life expectancy and improve its quality.
The drug prescribed by the treating oncologist is administered intravenously under a drip. The patient's condition is monitored by a doctor, but usually the procedure goes without complications. The active substance begins its work immediately after administration, sometimes causing mild side effects that are incomparable with the body's reactions to other methods of influencing the tumor.
The effectiveness of treatment is monitored after several sessions, after which the doctor makes a decision to extend or discontinue therapy. For example, immunotherapy for ovarian cancer consists of two stages: dendritic cell vaccination and T-cell therapy. This treatment regimen showed excellent results: in 1 out of 8 patients there were no signs of the disease for 3.5 years, in the rest the disease stabilized. At the same time, the procedure itself and the rehabilitation process are tolerated very well by patients. Side effects are present, but they depend on the individual characteristics of the body and the characteristics of the drug used. In general, this may include weakness, mild nausea, which is not comparable to recovery from chemotherapy, minor digestive upset and other abnormalities that slightly reduce the standard of living and quickly disappear after treatment is completed.
Immune drugs
Immunotherapy for cancer, for which the drug is selected according to the type of disease, works differently. Most drugs intercept signals from the cancer cell, telling the immune system that they are “one of our own” - healthy cells. As a result, the system detects the problem and fixes it. Active work is underway in this direction; “new era” drugs are at the stage of testing and approvals from regulatory authorities, some of them are still available only in certain countries. Some approved solutions are not allowed by many states to be widely used due to the presence of bacteria in them, the reaction to which during large-scale use is unpredictable, or insufficient testing of a particular drug does not allow predicting the outcome of treatment. But the number of cancer patients is increasing.
Immunotherapy for metastatic rectal cancer, one of the most common types, saves hundreds of thousands of people. Every year, about 600,000 cases of intestinal cancer are recorded worldwide, which do not always have severe symptoms, so patients end up with an advanced, inoperable form. The only way out is to turn to the body's protective functions.
The main groups of active substances are classified according to their mode of action:
- cytokines transmit information between immune cells necessary for the full functioning of the system;
- interleukins inform the system about the formation of cancer cells;
- gamma interferons specifically destroy the affected cells;
- Monoclonal antibodies are endowed with multifunctionality. They detect cancer cells and destroy them;
- anticancer vaccines, which are obtained from the material of a malignant tumor, force the patient’s body to produce more antibodies with an antitumor effect.
Immunotherapy for lung cancer, reviews of which are encouraging for millions of people around the world, allows us to solve the problem of the spread of metastases and the need to act on all elements of the tumor at once. Only drug treatment provides extensive and targeted action. Immunotherapy is effective for skin cancer, including melanoma.
Types of cancer and immunotherapy
It is recognized that patients with complex forms of cancer can live on average 4 months after chemotherapy, and 9 months after immunotherapy, with mild side effects and virtually no consequences. The indicator may vary depending on the affected organ. For example, immunotherapy for kidney cancer, reviews of which are also very convincing, in 40% of patients at a late stage of the disease using a combination of drugs nivolumab and ipilimumab leads not only to stopping the growth of a malignant tumor, but also to its significant reduction. And every tenth immunotherapy for kidney cancer led to the complete disappearance of signs of cancer. While standard treatment reduces tumor size in only 5% of patients.
Today immunotherapy is used:
- for lung cancer;
- for laryngeal cancer;
- for cervical cancer;
- for pancreatic cancer;
- for stomach cancer;
- for prostate cancer;
- for rectal cancer;
- for bladder cancer;
- for prostate cancer and other forms of the disease.
Geography of cancer immunotherapy
Cancer immunotherapy is developing most actively in Israel. They offer innovative methods, accept hopeless patients and achieve amazing results that cancer immunotherapy provides; reviews of doctors and service are the most positive. Moscow cannot offer full-fledged cancer treatment with immunotherapy for the reason that many of the newest drugs have not been approved by regulatory authorities and cannot be used in the country. And at the same time, cancer immunotherapy in Moscow and St. Petersburg, as in other cities in Russia, is performed at a high level using approved active substances. The method is quite expensive and, unfortunately, remains inaccessible to most patients. But there are experimental programs in which you can take part and get a chance to extend your life for free. Back in 2013, Novosibirsk announced the creation of a cancer vaccine at the Research Institute of Clinical Immunology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The vaccine is created on the basis of biomaterial taken from a patient into which antigens of cancer cells are introduced, resulting in a substance with a directed effect against precisely those cancer cells that multiply in the body of a particular patient.
Immunotherapy is constantly being improved. Numerous studies are being conducted to understand why some patients respond to treatment better than others. They are developing variants of this treatment method for all types of cancer, increasing the effectiveness of already used methods, and combining different drugs. They strive to achieve minimal side effects and maximum duration of the resulting result: stopping the growth of malignant cells, reducing the tumor or even its disappearance. Cancer immunotherapy is the future!
The site provides reference information for informational purposes only. Diagnosis and treatment of diseases must be carried out under the supervision of a specialist. All drugs have contraindications. Consultation with a specialist is required!
General information
Immunotherapy is a direction in medicine that deals with curing various ailments by influencing the immune system ( decrease or vice versa gain).Immunotherapy methods:
- specific,
- nonspecific.
Also, all methods are divided into active and passive. Active methods enhance the response of the body’s defenses and its direction, while passive methods are “donors” that supply the missing links and functions.
Kinds
Immunocorrection– correction of disruption of the body’s defenses. To achieve this goal, methods of immunoreplacement therapy, immunomodulatory or immunoreconstruction are used.In immunoreplacement therapy, non-functioning or missing factors are supplied from drugs ( serum, blood plasma or immunoglobulin).
Immunomodulatory therapy– this is an influence on altered immune functions through regulatory systems. For this purpose, immunomodulators are used - drugs that can either activate or suppress the body’s defenses under different dosage regimens. You can also use one drug to slow down some links and activate others. Those that activate the body's defenses are called immunostimulants, and those that suppress it are called immunosuppressants.
Immunoreconstruction– this is the construction of protective mechanisms by transplanting stem cells from various organs ( thymus, liver, bone marrow).
Active techniques are aimed at immune bodies - lymphocytes, which detect the antigen and react to it.
One of the passive methods is serotherapy. It consists of infusion of special immune serums.
Autoserotherapy is a type of nonspecific autoimmunotherapy in which the patient is injected with his blood serum.
The serum temperature is brought to 56 degrees and kept for 30 minutes. After which it is infused subcutaneously or intramuscularly once every 48 hours. The duration of treatment is from eight to twelve procedures. This treatment is effective for toxicosis of pregnancy, ichthyosis, pemphigus, prurigo ( prurigo).
The same term is used to describe another method of treating pleural exudates. Using a syringe, a hole is made in the pleura, one milliliter of exudate is removed and infused under the skin. The procedures are repeated once every 24–72 hours, the number of procedures is up to six. This is not a very effective treatment method, so it is practically not used.
Autotherapy is a type of immunotherapy in which a patient with long-term suppuration is injected with his own pus in small quantities.
Replacement immunotherapy lies in the fact that with some illnesses the body stops independently producing immunoglobulins - special proteins that suppress the development of foreign agents. In such conditions, replacement immunotherapy is prescribed, in which immunoglobulins are infused into the patient’s body in the form of medications.
For allergies and asthma
An allergy is a disorder in the body's response to a particular substance. This is why it is so difficult to correct this condition with medications. One of the most effective methods is allergen-specific immunotherapy or allergy vaccination .
The advantage of the technique is that it affects the root cause of the disease, and is not a symptomatic treatment, like most drug methods.
The history of using this method for allergies goes back more than 100 years. It was originally used to treat hay fever. This method is practically the only possible one if it is not possible to completely eliminate the allergen from the patient’s life.
This treatment method affects the body's reactivity to certain substances. By changing it, you can be completely cured. Thus, the manifestations of allergies either completely disappear or are significantly reduced. The main objective of the technique is to reduce the body's sensitivity to allergens.
Classic, fast, and also accelerated allergy vaccination schemes have been developed.
Allergens are administered in a variety of ways, but subcutaneous infusion is more common. Developments are underway to make it possible to administer allergens in the form of inhalations and tablets. According to clinical data, up to 90% of patients suffering from pollen allergies are cured of their illness using this method. Foreign experts recommend these methods for treating children with various forms of allergies.
Preparations based on saline solutions are infused.
Allergy vaccination is prescribed for persons from five to fifty years of age if there is laboratory confirmation of an allergy associated with a violation of the activity of immunoglobulin E.
Indications:
- allergies to plant pollen, including in the form of a runny nose and inflammation of the mucous membranes of the eyes, which appear at certain times of the year,
- allergic runny nose or inflammation of the mucous membrane of the eyes, independent of the time of year,
- atopic form of bronchial asthma.
A separate technique is vaccination with bacterial allergens for the treatment of infectious-allergic forms of asthma.
Allergy vaccination is used successfully in the hormone-dependent form of bronchial asthma. Patients can significantly reduce their use of hormonal medications and sometimes stop taking them completely.
The treatment consists of injecting small doses of the allergen into the patient’s body at certain intervals. Gradually the amount increases and begins to affect the defense mechanisms that “get used” to the allergen. Duration of therapy is from 12 weeks. There are also express treatment regimens that have not yet proven their effectiveness.
This type of treatment helps 9 out of 10 patients who complete the full treatment regimen. The technique makes it possible to prolong remission in bronchial asthma for several years or even decades, and in 30% of patients the disease does not return at all.
In oncology - using dendritic cells
The body's immunity also protects it from external enemies ( viruses and microbes), and from internal - modified cells capable of uncontrolled reproduction. Every day, as many as eight cancerous tumors begin to develop in the body of each of us, but the task of the immune system is to detect and suppress them in time. If the immune system fails, the tumor begins to produce substances that suppress the body's defenses, and in most patients with cancer the immune system is very weak.Thanks to many studies, it has been proven that dendritic cells have a very serious influence on these processes.
Method of using dendritic cells:
1.
A blood sample is taken from the patient and precursor cells are extracted from it, which in the future become dendritic cells.
2.
During the growing period, elements of malignant cells, extracted from the patient’s body or obtained artificially, are mixed with the cells.
3.
During maturation, the precursor cell can absorb these elements.
4.
During absorption, information is read, which is used in the future to recognize all similar cells. This is how a dendritic cell is formed, which has the characteristics of a tumor cell and sends a special signal to the defense mechanisms about this.
5.
Ready-made dendritic cells flow into the body, enter the lymph nodes and there activate all possible immune bodies that suppress tumor growth.
6.
Having assimilated the signs of tumor cells, immune cells enter the most remote corners of the body and there begin to destroy tumor cells.
7.
Once an immune cell engulfs a cancerous cell, it releases substances that notify all other cells in the body.
It is already known for certain that using this technique it is possible to treat breast, prostate, kidney, skin, ovarian and colon cancer.
There are no methods yet that allow treating diseases only with the help of immunotherapy; it is recommended as an addition to radiation or chemotherapy, since a tumor that has already been irradiated or treated with chemotherapy is more easily affected by immune cells.
The dendritic cell technique is also used in cases where other treatment methods are not effective enough. The method is most effective in the primary stages of disease development, when the number of mutated cells is still small. Therefore, before starting treatment, the degree of reactivity of the patient’s immune system must be examined.
This technique may cause some side effects: enlarged lymph nodes, increased body temperature, lethargy, hyperemia at the injection site.
In oncology – antitumor vaccines
Vaccination allows you to build immunity against the development of a malignant tumor. Vaccines can contain both tumor cells and antigens.All vaccines are divided into:
- whole cell vaccines
- vaccines containing antigens.
Antigen vaccines include antigens, and a single tumor can have a range of antigens. There are antigens that are characteristic of tumors of one type, and there are also those that are found in the body of only one patient.
The use of antitumor vaccines today is largely an experimental method that is not widely used.
According to experimental data, a specific vaccine against recurrent kidney cancer helps to increase the period of remission of the disease by two years. There are vaccines against different types of cancer that are being tested in different countries.
Drugs used in cancer immunotherapy:
Cytokines
– they enhance the effect of antitumor vaccines, being carriers of information from one immune body to another. Sometimes cytokines are injected directly into the vaccine.
Interferon gamma is an artificial version of protein that is produced in the human body to destroy tumors and infections.
Interleukin – 2 – when a neoplasm appears in the body, the process of production of interleukins is disrupted. These substances are produced by the body and are necessary for the transfer of information between different cells and tissues of the body.
Filgrastim and Lenograstim – colony-stimulating factors that promote the activation and accumulation of granulocytes.
Deoxynate, thymogen, monoclonal antibodies – stimulants acting on various parts of the immune system.
TIL cell immunotherapy
This is one of the areas of immunotherapy in oncology, used to treat melanoma at terminal stages that have metastases. The technique allows you to suddenly and significantly enhance the patient’s immune response to the malignant cells present in it. TIL cells are on average 75 times more active than ordinary lymphocytes. The patient undergoes surgery to eliminate the tumor and metastases. TIL cells are extracted from the removed tissues. In laboratory conditions, the most active ones are selected from them and left for reproduction for 15 - 30 days. In order for the cells to maximize their antitumor capabilities, they are placed in a special environment. This is a very difficult process. If all conditions are met, the probability of obtaining an effective drug for this particular patient is 50%.
The patient undergoes chemotherapy, after which multiplied and enhanced TIL cells are returned to his blood. Since the cells were originally extracted from the patient’s body, they do not cause any rejection reactions or side effects. The effect of the drug is long-lasting. The administration of TIL cells is combined with interleukin preparations and sometimes a granulocyte colony-stimulating factor preparation.
T cell technology
One of the most active immune bodies are T-helper cells, which provide so-called adaptive immunity.T-cell immunotherapy is used for:
- cancer treatment,
- treatment of HIV and other types of viruses,
- treatment of autoimmune diseases,
- immunity research,
- cancer research.
1. Using the patient's own cells,
2. Using donor cells.
In addition, there are unique methods that are being tested to activate T-helper cells with electromagnetic particles.
In advanced stages of cancer
Many patients seek medical help already at fairly advanced stages of cancer, when manifestations of the disease are evident. Often, at such stages, tumor metastases are already present, which nullify all attempts at traditional treatment, contribute to an increase in the volume of malignant cells and early death. No traditional treatment methods, including fairly aggressive chemotherapy and radiation, help prevent the disease from returning. Immunotherapy helps activate the body's strength to fight cancer.Scheme for the use of immunotherapeutic methods in terminal stages of cancer:
1.
It is possible to completely eliminate the tumor and metastases through surgery.
2.
Introduction of a cancer vaccine.
3.
Treatment with cytokines.
4.
Treatment with thyroxine.
5.
Cleansing the body of toxins using special preparations ( deoxynate).
Vaccination is carried out a week or two after surgery. Later administration is also possible, however, the results may be worse. Such treatment regimens make it possible to reduce the number of malignant cells in the body by one and a half to two times.
For endometriosis
Endometriosis is a disease in which the cells of the lining of the uterus ( endometrium) spread throughout the internal organs of a woman and take root there. According to the latest scientific data, endometriosis is a consequence of a dysfunction of the immune system. Otherwise, local immune cells would not allow endometrial cells to take root and grow anywhere. Such patients have a reduced number of killer cells.Despite the abundance of treatment methods, none of them provides a complete cure, nor does it affect the root cause of the disease.
Immunotherapy for endometriosis is aimed at activating killer cells and T cells against endometrium that takes root in inappropriate places.
For this purpose, the RESAN antitumor vaccine was created. The use of this vaccine is explained by the fact that the “wandering” endometrial cells have some qualities similar to the qualities of malignant tissue of the uterus and ovaries.
According to clinical trials, immunotherapy helps reduce the size of the uterus, as well as myomatous nodes. Sometimes ovarian cysts resolve. Pain is reduced by half, swelling disappears, and the emotional state of patients and their well-being improves.
For adenoma and prostate cancer
Immunotherapy is the most modern method of treating prostate cancer, giving results in aggressive types of the disease. Unfortunately, this type of cancer often returns even after successful treatment with traditional methods. Therefore, the use of cancer vaccines may play a decisive role in some cases.Modern doctors already know for certain that cancer appears only in people with weak immunity. Therefore, carrying out competent and timely immunotherapy will direct the body to fight the tumor.
Immunotherapy methods are very effective in the treatment of prostate cancer, since it is the local immunity of the prostate gland that is quite easy to strengthen with the help of already created drugs.
Methods of both active and passive immunotherapy are used, which can almost completely destroy cancer cells.
However, not in all cases the treatment is effective; for example, if the tumor develops clearly within the gland, it is more effective to remove it. To date, there are no effective methods of immunotherapy for the treatment of metastases of prostate cancer and types of tumors that are not sensitive to the level of the hormone androgen.
Vaccines contain tumor antigens that dramatically increase the body's immune response to existing cancer cells.
But it’s not just cancer that immunotherapy can help with. Treatment of prostate adenoma is very effective. The administration of vaccines helps normalize the level of prostate-specific antigen in the patient’s blood. In this way, the body itself can control tumor processes. It only takes 4 to 8 weeks after the vaccine is administered and this figure approaches normal. In some forms of prostate adenoma, complete recovery can be achieved.
So, if adenoma tissue is represented by glandular or fibrous cells, the probability of recovery is from 80 to 85%.
If the adenoma consists of muscle fibers, the probability of recovery is from 50 to 60%.
With combined forms, 60–80% of patients who have undergone immunotherapy have a chance to recover.
For periodontal diseases
To strengthen local immunity in periodontal diseases, local immunotherapeutic methods are used. But, despite its widespread use, the role of immunity in the development of periodontitis has not yet been proven, therefore immunostimulants are recommended to be used only after a doctor’s prescription.Methods for correcting immunity are prescribed for moderate and severe forms of the disease. In particular, drugs such as lycopid, cytokines and T-activin are used.
Some experts recommend using viferon, derinat and deoxynate.
There is evidence of the high effectiveness of the drug imudon in the early stages of periodontitis. To strengthen local immunity in a sharply deteriorating condition, in some cases the use of ozone therapy in the form of irrigation of the mouth and gum pockets is very effective.
For tuberculosis
One of the factors for effective treatment of tuberculosis is the prevention and elimination of secondary immunodeficiencies. According to laboratory data, in patients with active tuberculosis, almost all parts of the immune system are affected: - The level of cytokines is disrupted,
- The level of all types of immunoglobulins is disrupted,
- The activity of phagocytes changes,
- The combination of lymphocyte cells changes.
Tuberculin therapy is widely used as a means of specific immunotherapy. This treatment is most effective if the patient’s immune system is weakened and the body’s sensitization is very strong. Tuberculin is administered using electrophoresis. The dosage is selected individually depending on the patient’s body weight, but the initial doses are always lower. The duration of the procedure is 20 minutes, on average twenty sessions are prescribed. If necessary, the course can be carried out once every 4 to 6 weeks.
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