Immunotherapy: Helping your body fight cancer better

Did you know that 1 out every 9 Indians will develop cancer during their lifetime (0 to 74 years of age), according to the estimates from the National Cancer Registry Programme? Cancer is the second most common cause of death worldwide, leading to one out of every deaths and the global burden of cancer continues to rise. As per the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), new cases of cancer will increase by 1.5 times from 19.3 million in 2020 to 30.2 million in 2040. In India, new cancer cases will also rise to 2 million by 2040.

Early detection and treatment saves lives

Since environmental and lifestyle factors are the key risk enhancers for cancer, up to 50% of cancers are preventable. Early detection and management of cancer can help reduce the overall disease burden. 5 If treatment is delayed, it is more likely that cancer will grow and spread, making therapy difficult and reducing the chances of survival.

The three types of cancer treatment normally used include surgery, medicines (chemotherapy) and radiation therapy or a combination of these. The treatment schedule depends upon various factors such as the type of cancer, its stage (its spread), other conditions that patients are suffering from and their preferences. However, existing cancer treatments are often not sufficient to provide complete protection from this disease. Innovation in cancer treatment is the need of the hour to manage the growing disease burden.

Immunotherapy offers new hope for cancer treatment

A deeper understanding of how cancer develops and the body’s response to it are active areas of research that aim to discover newer and more effective treatment options. Immunotherapy is one such treatment modality. Unlike conventional treatments such as chemotherapy that kill tumour cells directly, immunotherapy strengthens your body’s immune response to cancer cells. In normal individuals, the immune system can detect and destroy abnormal cells. It is most likely that it prevents or inhibits the growth of several cancers. However, in some people, this innate ability to eliminate cancerous cells is inadequate, allowing cancer to grow, and spread.

Immunotherapy drugs are an advanced form of cancer treatment that helps your immune system fight cancer better. Since these drugs assist your immune system, they are more specific than conventional cancer therapies. Immunotherapy drugs bolster the immune system’s ability in different ways. Some help the immune system work harder to identify cancer cells and prevent them from growing and spreading. Others change how the immune system works so that it can attack the cancer cells effectively. Nearly 15 different cancers including lung, skin, kidney, and bladder cancers can be treated with immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy can be administered in various ways. Depending upon the type of cancer, the drugs can be given either via an intravenous (IV) route, as a pill/capsule, as a topical cream or directly into the bladder (intravesical). They can be used alone or in combination with traditional treatment options. The duration of treatment will also vary depending on the patient profile.

Due to its specialised nature, choosing the right patient for immunotherapy is an important step of the regimen. Moreover, like all other treatments, it can be associated with side effects due to the stimulation of the immune system. Some of the commonly observed ones include skin reactions at the injection site and flu-like symptoms (fever, weakness, etc.). These can be handled effectively under the guidance of a cancer specialist.

If you or your loved one is suffering from cancer, reach out to your oncologist to check if you are a suitable candidate for immunotherapy.