The immunotherapy It is one of the treatments currently available to treat some types of cancer, such as:
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the cerebral
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Lung
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Bladder
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kidney
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breast
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Melanoma and other skin cancers
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liver cancer
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lymphomas
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Leukemias.
This treatment can be administered alone or in combination with other therapies such as and/or chemotherapy.
What does immunotherapy treatment consist of?
Well, summarizing it a lot, it is about empowering our immune system to act against malignant cells.
As they explain from the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (), the immune system is not capable of detecting by itself the tumor cells because they become invisible to him.
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What immunotherapy does is act as an intermediary so that tumor cells are visible to the immune system and in this way, the defenses can eliminate cancer cells.
To achieve this, it uses substances produced by the body or in a laboratory with the aim of improving the functioning of your immune system and destroying cancer cells.
Types of immunotherapy
There are many types of immunotherapy, among which we could highlight the following:
- Monoclonal antibodies and tumor agnostic treatments, as checkpoint inhibitors. They are made in a laboratory to enhance the body’s natural antibodies or act as antibodies themselves. As for inhibitors, they prevent cancer cells from hiding from the immune system and make it work more to help kill cancer cells.
- Oncolytic virus therapy: They are viruses that have been modified in a laboratory to kill cancer cells. The doctor injects the genetically modified virus into the tumor so that it enters the cancer cells and reproduces. The result is that this causes the cancer cells to explode and die.
- T cell therapy: eA doctor removes T cells from a patient’s blood and genetically modifies them in a laboratory to have specific proteins called receptors, which allow the T cells to recognize cancer cells. Once this is done, the cells are put back into the body to find and kill cancer cells.
- Cancer Vaccines: There are 2 types: vaccines for prevention and vaccines for treatment. And like so many vaccines, it involves exposing the immune system to a foreign protein, called an antigen, so that the immune system learns to recognize and destroy that antigen or related substances.
How it is administered and what precautions should be taken
Prior to treatment, an analytical control and a visit with the medical team will be carried out, to confirm that it can be administered. When it is possible to opt for this type of treatment, oncology specialists will administer it placing a peripheral venous line (catheter) through a vein puncture.
To receive this therapy It is not necessary for the patient to come fasting.
During or after administration, the patient may experience pain or redness in the area where the drug was punctured to introduce the drug. In these cases, it should be consulted immediately.
But what the specialists do warn is that it is essential that the patient does not take any medication without prior consultation with his medical team.
And in the event of having to see a specialist or family doctor due to any health problem unrelated to the tumor, you must report that you are undergoing immunotherapy.
Experts also point out that some minerals, vitamins, dietary supplements or herbal teas may influence the effect of the treatment.
This is also the case with homeopathic remedies or other complementary treatments. For these reasons it is important that before taking anything you consult with the health professionals who are involved in the treatment of immunotherapy.
Immunotherapy Side Effects
The possible adverse effects derived from this therapy they are different from those that occur with other treatments used against cancer, such as conventional chemotherapy, targeted therapies or radiation therapy.
And knowing these signs is essential for the patient to control and prevent these as much as possible. side effects.
- Diarrhea: It is common for them to produce changes in the consistency and/or frequency of bowel movements. For this reason, specialists recommend that these patients eat an easily digestible diet and drink a large amount of fluid.
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: in the event that it appears suddenly, or that more than 4 bowel movements are made per day or that we see that the stool has traces of blood or mucus, the medical team in charge of the examination should be consulted. immunotherapy.
- Skin changes: As a consequence of the treatment, some dry skin and even itching may appear. To alleviate them, specialists advise maintaining skin hygiene and hydrating it with products that do not contain alcohol or detergent.
- Joint and muscle discomfort are one of the usual side effects. And so that the patient can alleviate them, it is important to practice physical exercise on a regular basis and according to the physical condition of each one.
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The patient can feeling more tired than usual, and therefore the most advisable thing is to respect the hours of sleep and rest when necessary. Oncologists recommend trying to lead a normal life without forgetting to practice some physical activity.
- Respiratory problems. If there is an increase in coughing or the patient feels like he is choking, he should consult with the healthcare personnel who are caring for him.
- Mucositis: Mucosal lesions may appear, especially thrush in the mouth. To avoid them, it is essential to take care of oral hygiene, and if thrush appears, gargle with infusions of thyme and/or bicarbonate. Specialists advise against taking very hot food or drinks because this can help reduce these injuries.
- Fever. The patient may have a punctual episode of fever during the 24-48 hours after the first immunotherapy session. This fever can be managed with paracetamol (if you are not allergic).
They also recommend not sunbathing, and use a 50 SPF UVB+UVA sunscreen.
And don’t forget to protect your eyes with good sunglasses.
Finally, specialists in Oncology remember that any worsening of these discomforts derived from treatment with…