Immunotherapy

You may expect the following before the start of your immunotherapy:

• Your doctor will perform a health evaluation to determine if immunotherapy is a suitable treatment for your cancer
• Your doctor may also ask you various questions about your medical and family history
• You should also provide detailed information regarding the medications you are taking
• Inform your doctor if you have any autoimmune disease, liver disease, or are pregnant or planning to achieve pregnancy. Also, inform me if you have any organ transplantation or stem cell transplantation in the past
• Ask all your concerns regarding the immunotherapy from your doctor. This includes the side effects of immunotherapy, recovery, and effects of immunotherapy on cancer.

There are various types of immunotherapy. The doctor performs the immunotherapy, which is best suitable for the patient. Some of the types of immunotherapy are:

• T-cell transfer therapy: T-cells are the cells that fight against cancer cells. In this therapy, the doctor increases the ability of T-cells to fight against cancer. In this process, the doctor takes T-cells from the blood, alters and grows them in the lab, and transfer the T-cells back into the blood
• Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes: Lymphocytes are the cells of the immune system. Their presence in the cancer cells indicates that the body is fighting against the cancerous cells. The doctor takes the lymphocytes from the blood and allows them to multiply in large numbers. The doctors then add the proteins that will boost their activity against the cancerous cells. They are then added back into the blood
• Immune Checkpoint inhibitors: There are various checkpoints in the immune process. These help the immune system to identify which cell to attack and which cells to leave. This allows the immune system to avoid attacking healthy body cells. Sometimes, the cancer cells take advantage of these checkpoints and hides by switching off them. The immune checkpoint inhibitors help in switching on these checkpoints and kill the cancerous cells. These include PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors and CTLA-4 inhibitors
• Monoclonal antibodies: Monoclonal antibodies are proteins that bind to foreign invaders. It helps the immune system to identify and kill them. The scientists create monoclonal antibodies against cancer cells that help the immune system to find and kill them
• Cancer vaccines: The doctor may also recommend cancer vaccines. These vaccines boost the immune system in fighting against cancer
• Immune system modulators: These are the substances that, in general, boosts the immune system. These molecules do not specifically target cancer cells. These include cytokines, interferons, and interleukins.

You may have certain side effects after the immunotherapy. These side effects include headache, diarrhea, loss of appetite, confusion, shortness of breath, fatigue, and skin rashes. You should report the serious side effects to your doctor. The doctor may give you medications for managing the side effects. Never avoid the follow-up visit schedule. This will help your doctor to determine the efficacy of immunotherapy and the presence of any serious side effects.