KOCHI: It is a matter of concern that cancer incidence is rising globally. However, on the bright side, patient survival rates have significantly improved due to advanced treatment options, specialised medical care, cutting-edge diagnostic technologies, and enhanced supportive care.
The primary methods for treating cancer include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy. Chemotherapy involves using medications to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells. However, traditional chemotherapy drugs also affect healthy cells, due to their lack of targeting specificity.
Newer therapies, such as targeted chemotherapy and immunotherapy, show great promise in treatment. Targeted therapy focuses on specific cancer cell types, sparing normal ones and reducing side effects. Immunotherapy strengthens the immune system’s ability to combat cancer cells.
Of late, immunotherapy has drawn significant attention for its effectiveness.
What is immunotherapy?
It involves drugs that, when injected into the body, stimulate the immune system to fight and kill cancer cells.
Different types
Naked monoclonal antibodies: This is a protein that attaches to an antigen (a foreign body or toxin) and initiates an immune response to destroy it. It can identifies and attack specific proteins on the surface of the cancer cells.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors: It targets and neutralises certain ‘checkpoint’ proteins, or ‘brakes’, on cancer cells that prevent the immune system from attacking them.
CAR T-cell therapy: Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy is a type of adoptive cell transfer where T-cells are activated (against specific tumour antigens) and multiplied in a laboratory before being injected back into the patient to trigger a strong immune response against the tumour.
Newer drugs are being tested and approved to treat many types of advanced or metastatic cancers where chemotherapy has failed. Currently, treatment costs are high, as immunotherapy medicines are research molecules and have complex manufacturing processes.
Are there side effects?
Immunotherapy does not typically cause side effects like hair loss, vomiting, or diarrhoea. However, immune-related side effects may occur, such as autoimmune thyroid problems, lung issues, or kidney damage. Most side effects can be managed with steroids, though some may require discontinuation of treatment.
It is important that people are made aware of these new treatment options for cancer and seek treatment from experienced medical oncologists. Equally essential is encouraging a healthy lifestyle and diet to reduce cancer risk.