Pros and Cons of Immunotherapy

What are the Pros and Cons of Immunotherapy?

These days, immunotherapy has really transformed the way of treating cancer. Cancer attacks around 9 million people all over the world, and those with the poor immune system are prone to it. Unlike the traditional methods which include chemotherapy and radiation that are meant to directly attack the cancer cells, immunotherapy seeks to use the body’s own immune system to fight cancer. This new approach has demonstrated great potential in treating different types of cancers hence many patients have a reason to smile again. Immunity being any other medical therapy brings with itself its pros and cons. In this blog we will deeply get into the pros and cons of immunotherapy.

What is Immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy comprises cancer treatment methods that activate the immune system to either work more aggressively or efficiently to eliminate cancer cells. It can be done in various ways including: 

  • Checkpoint Inhibitors: These drugs help the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.
  • Car T-Cell Therapy: This involves the modification of T cells in a patient so that they can better attack cancer cells. 
  • Cancer Vaccines: Cancer vaccines help the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.
  • Monoclonal Antibodies: Monoclonal antibodies in the first place are lab-made proteins that can attach to cancer cells and help the immune system kill them. 

Also Read: What Is Immunotherapy?

Why Choose Immunotherapy?

One of the most significant advantages of immunotherapy is its potential to provide long-lasting protection against cancer. For some people, this means they can experience fewer recurrences and enjoy longer periods without the disease.

The success rates of immunotherapy are promising. Recent studies show that in certain cancers, such as advanced melanoma, about 40% of patients respond well to immunotherapy. This is a significant improvement compared to other treatments. For lung cancer patients, immunotherapy combined with other treatments has been shown to improve survival rates by up to 30%.

Another benefit is the relatively mild side effects. While chemotherapy can cause severe fatigue, hair loss, and nausea, immunotherapy often has fewer and less severe side effects. This can lead to a better quality of life during treatment.

What Type of Cancer Does Immunotherapy Target?

Immunotherapy targets the following cancers: 

  • Melanoma: This is a severe form of skin cancer. Immunotherapy has been especially effective here, increasing survival rates significantly. For example, checkpoint inhibitors, a type of immunotherapy, have improved the five-year survival rate for advanced melanoma from 15% to over 50%.
  • Lung Cancer: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients have benefited greatly. Treatments like pembrolizumab (Keytruda) have improved the two-year survival rate from around 25% to nearly 45%.
  • Bladder Cancer: Immunotherapy has also been approved for advanced bladder cancer, giving new hope where traditional treatments failed.
  • Kidney Cancer: Drugs like nivolumab (Opdivo) have shown to extend life expectancy significantly for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.
  • Lymphoma: Particularly Hodgkin lymphoma, where immunotherapy drugs have achieved high response rates, even in cases where other treatments did not work.

Also Read: The Science Behind Immunotherapy

Pros of Immunotherapy

Below are some of the reasons that make immunotherapy a viable treatment in treating cancer. 

  1. Targeted-Therapy

The key and probably the only one immunotherapy advantage is that it can be aimed at a certain type of cancer for the purpose of treatment. Conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy may on their course damage healthy cells hence along with cancer cells, which causes significant side effects. Immunotherapy, on the contrary to chemo, focuses on boosting the immune system’s ability to differentiate between healthy and cancerous cells, thus cutting down the potential damage.

  1. Assisting the Immune System, Not Just Killing Cancer Cells (Immune System Memory)

Immunotherapy can indeed give protection against cancer for a very long period of time. Once the immune system is trained to recognize and kill cancer cells, it can go on doing this even after treatment has finished. This phenomenon may lead to remission that lasts longer or in some cases, a possible cure of the disease. 

  1. Effective Against Various Cancers

Cancers like melanoma, lung cancer, kidney cancer, and lymphoma are among those that have been effectively treated by immunotherapy. For example, checkpoint inhibitors such as pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and nivolumab (Opdivo) have been approved for multiple types of cancer and have significantly extended the lives of some patients.

  1. Fewer Side Effects

Though immunotherapy has side effects, it is quite different from those treated with traditional cancer treatments. The common side effects of immunotherapy is a skin rash, fatigue, and flu-like symptoms which may be more tolerated by some patients as opposed to the brutal nausea, hair loss, and infection risks that come with chemotherapy.

  1. Medicines for You

In Immunotherapy, you will get medicines based on your immune cells. For example in CAR T-cell therapy, for each patient, medicines are given based on his/her immune cells. The personalized way may show a better performance since it is planned to treat one’s cancer system.

  1. Potential for Synergy with Other Treatments

Immunotherapy can be combined with multiple cancer therapies to boost their effectiveness. For example, the combination of immunotherapy with chemotherapy, radiotherapy or/and targeted therapy may sometimes result in superior outcomes compared to the use of either treatment alone. This combined treatment is very dynamic in terms of research and has already given certain results in clinical trials. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology reported that the combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab resulted in a 52% overall survival rate at five years for patients with advanced melanoma.

Also Read: What is the Success Rate of Immunotherapy?

The Cons of Immunotherapy

Though immunotherapy is highly preferred in treating cancer, it has some side effects too. They are:

  1. Not Effective for Everyone

Despite its potential, immunotherapy does not work for everyone. Some patients may not respond to treatment, and researchers are still working to understand why. Factors such as the type of cancer, genetic makeup, and the presence of certain biomarkers can influence the effectiveness of immunotherapy.

While immunotherapy generally has fewer side effects than traditional treatments, it can still cause significant immune-related side effects. These can occur when the immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues in the body, leading to conditions such as colitis, hepatitis, pneumonitis, and endocrinopathies. These side effects can sometimes be severe and require immunosuppressive treatments.

  1. High Cost

Immunotherapy can be expensive. The cost of drugs, hospital stays, and supportive care can add up quickly, making it a financial burden for many patients. For example, the cost of CAR T-cell therapy can exceed $400,000, not including additional costs associated with managing side effects and follow-up care.

  1. Complex Treatment Process

The treatment process for immunotherapy can be complex and time-consuming. CAR T-cell therapy, for instance, involves collecting the patient’s T cells, modifying them in a lab, and then infusing them back into the patient. This process can take several weeks and requires specialized facilities and expertise.

  1. Delayed Response

In some cases, immunotherapy can take longer to show results compared to traditional treatments. Patients and doctors may need to wait several months to see if the treatment is working, which can be challenging, especially for those with rapidly progressing cancers.

  1. Research is Ongoing

While immunotherapy is a rapidly advancing field, it is still relatively new, and much remains to be understood. Ongoing research is necessary to optimize treatments, understand long-term effects, and identify which patients are most likely to benefit. As a result, some patients may feel like they are part of an ongoing experiment.

Conclusion

Immunotherapy represents a promising frontier in cancer treatment, offering hope to many patients who previously had limited options. Its ability to harness the power of the immune system to fight cancer can lead to targeted, long-lasting, and sometimes even curative effects. However, it is not without its challenges, including variable effectiveness, potential for severe side effects, and high costs. 

As with any treatment, it is essential for patients to discuss the potential benefits and risks of immunotherapy with their healthcare team. Ongoing research and clinical trials continue to refine these treatments, bringing us closer to a future where more patients can benefit from the power of immunotherapy.

Also Read: Immunotherapy For Cancer In India- A Complete Guide

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