What is immunotherapy?

What is Immunotherapy? It is an innovative advancement in the field of cancer medicine. It offers new hope for treating certain types of cancer, by using the body's immune system to find and fight the cancer cells more effectively. It’s an alternative to traditional treatments like radiation and chemotherapy.

Immunotherapy is designed to enhance or restore the body's immune system to be able to detect and fight diseases, mainly cancer, or infections and autoimmune diseases.

The immune system is a network of cells, proteins and organs that defends the body from harmful pathogens (substances, cells or infectious organisms that cause disease). However, illnesses like cancer can impair the normal immune responses which would usually help fight these invaders. Immunotherapy aims to help the immune system recognise cancer cells and destroy them. Read more about this in our article Promising New Immunotherapy.

What are the types of immunotherapy?

There are several types of immunotherapy that are tailored to a specific medical illness.

• Checkpoint inhibitors. Checkpoint inhibitors block proteins used by cancer cells to evade detection. By inhibiting these checkpoints, the immune system can recognise and destroy cancer cells more effectively. Some examples include Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and Nivolumab (Opdivo).
• CAR T-Cell therapy. Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy modifies a patient’s T-cells to better recognise and fight cancer cells. This personalised approach has shown success in treating certain types of blood cancers.
• Cancer vaccines. These vaccines stimulate the immune system to prevent or treat cancer. Unlike traditional vaccines, cancer vaccines target existing cancer cells. An example is Sipuleucel-T for prostate cancer.
• Immune modulators. Substances like cytokines (e.g., interleukins and interferons) boost the immune system's overall activity. These are often used to enhance other forms of immunotherapy.
• Monoclonal antibodies. Lab-engineered antibodies that are designed to target specific antigens (chemical shapes that can trigger immune responses) on cancer cells, marking them for destruction by the immune system.

Applications of immunotherapy

Immunotherapy has revolutionised cancer treatment. It can offer patients longevity and in some cases, cure. It is particularly effective for cancers that used to be considered untreatable such as advanced melanoma and non-small cell lung cancers.

Immunotherapy is also used to regulate immune responses to some autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

Experimental immunotherapies are being developed for chronic infections like HIV and hepatitis.

Lastly, some allergen immunotherapy can be used to desensitise the immune system to certain allergens, to reduce people's symptoms over time.

How is immunotherapy administered?

Immunotherapy can be administered using specific methods that are tailored to the treatment patients need. The most common approach is an IV infusion, where it is delivered directly to the bloodstream for systemic impact.

Some immunotherapies are available as oral medications for at home administration. Some are given as injections for under the skin or directly into a tumour to target the cells more precisely.

The type of administration will depend on the type of cancer, the specific immunotherapy being used and the patient's overall treatment plan.

Advantages and challenges to immunotherapy

A key advantage of immunotherapy is the focus on specific cells, which can minimise damage to other healthy cells or tissue. The immune system’s memory may also provide long-term protection against the recurrence of diseases.

There are fewer side effects compared to other traditional treatments. For instance, checkpoint inhibitors have significantly increased survival rates in metastatic melanoma, a cancer that was nearly always fatal just a decade ago.

However, immunotherapy is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Some cancers, like pancreatic cancer, have proven less responsive to current immunotherapeutic approaches.

Additionally, immunotherapy can cause immune-related side effects, such as inflammation of healthy tissues, which require careful management.

A growing trend in combination therapies

Researchers are exploring combinations of immunotherapy with other types of treatments like chemotherapy, targeted therapies or radiation. They are finding that combining the different types of treatments can enhance the body's immune responses, overcome resistance mechanisms, and target cancer from multiple angles. This approach has shown promise in cancers like lung and colorectal cancers.

The future of cancer immunotherapy

It looks like the future of this treatment is promising. Advances in precision medicine and biomarker discovery are allowing more personalised treatments, ensuring patients are getting the most effective therapy for their illness. Research into overcoming a resistance to immunotherapy and widening its applicability to more types of cancer will continue to push this field.

As immunotherapy becomes more and more refined and accessible, it has the potential to transform cancer care, offering hope for longer survival and improved quality of life for millions of patients worldwide. Visit our clinical trials page to find out more about potential trials in this area.

Who is a good candidate for immunotherapy?

Not all cancer patients are eligible for immunotherapy. Factors such as the type and stage of cancer, overall health, and whether the cancer expresses certain markers (e.g., PD-L1, HER2) can influence your eligibility. A doctor will perform tests to determine if immunotherapy is appropriate for each patients’ situation.

What is the success rate of immunotherapy?

Success rates vary widely depending on the type of cancer and immunotherapy used. For example, checkpoint inhibitors have shown a 20-40% response rate in some cancers, while CAR T-cell therapy has achieved remission in up to 90% of certain blood cancers. Ongoing research aims to improve these outcomes.

Harbour’s medical, wellness and management teams

Our team at Harbour Cancer & Wellness is dedicated to keeping up with new advances in cancer treatment like immunotherapy. We work closely with our patients to reduce side effects from treatments and offer supportive care options as well as latest cancer news.

If you have more questions about immunotherapy and treatment, please take a look at our cancer FAQs.