Types of Cancers that can treated with Immunotherapy
As a cancer treatment, immunotherapy works by assisting the immune system to root out and kill cancerous cells. This is different to chemotherapy that uses drugs to kill both healthy and cancerous cells. It is also different from surgery, that relies on the finding and the removal of tumors. It is also different from radiation, that relies on using radiation to kill the cancerous cells in a particular area of the body.
Different cancers have different approaches to eradicating them, and this is why immunotherapy doesn’t work for all types of cancers. Even for the cancers it works for, immunotherapy still doesn’t work for everyone.
This is because beyond the type of treatment and the type of cancer, there are a lot of factors that determine if the cancer treatment will work or not.
The following are the types of cancers that immunotherapy can treat.
- Skin Cancer
Ordinarily, detecting skin cancers very early means that surgery is most likely going to help cure it. But in cases where the cancer isn’t detected early, immunotherapy might be of benefit.
Specifically, checkpoint inhibitors are best for this type of cancer. They increase the chances of survival for patients. For advanced forms like melanoma, cytokines and oncolytic viruses have proven to also be effective.
- Brain cancer
This is another type of cancer that immunotherapy works well against. Currently, there are 2 approved types of Monoclonal antibodies that work for brain cancer.
- Breast cancer
Historically, doctors generally thought immunotherapy was a bad choice for breast cancer. As a result, it wasn’t always considered as a treatment. But in recent years, several clinical studies have shown that breast cancers could be treated successfully with immunotherapy.
Checkpoint inhibitors are the category of choice for this. These drugs work especially well for women whose bodies make too much HER2, a protein receptor.
- Childhood cancer
Certain types of leukemia, brain cancer and lymphoma can be treated successfully with immunotherapy. The drug categories of choice includes checkpoint inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies and CAR T-cell therapy.
- Lymphoma
This blood cancer can be treated with the following immunotherapy drugs categories; CAR T-cell therapy, monoclonal antibodies and checkpoint inhibitors.
- Prostate cancer
Generally, cancer vaccines and checkpoint inhibitors are combined to treat prostate cancer, including the advanced types.
- Head and neck cancer
Immunotherapy is very helpful for patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-related head and neck cancers. Checkpoint inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies have been approved by the FDA to fight this types of cancer.
- Cervical cancer
Cancer vaccines are the main types of immunotherapy treatments used to fight this cancer. A checkpoint inhibitor and a monoclonal antibody have also been approved as choices to use in combating cervical cancer.
- Colorectal cancer
A lot of targeted therapies and checkpoint inhibitors are used to fight this cancer.
- Esophageal cancer
To fight this cancer, two targeted therapies and one checkpoint inhibitor have been approved by the FDA.
- Stomach cancer
Also called gastric cancer, two targeted antibodies and a checkpoint inhibitor are the weapons of choice for this type of cancer. These drugs also work against the more advanced kinds.
- Sarcoma
This cancer type is rare and currently, more research is being done to understand how immunotherapy can help to combat it.
However, one type of monoclonal antibody had been developed to help in the fight against this cancer that affects bone and soft tissue.
- Pancreatic cancer
Currently, a checkpoint inhibitor is the best option to fight this kind of cancer. Still, researchers are working to find more good treatments to help fight against this cancer.
- Ovarian cancer
Presently, just one monoclonal antibody is available, though research is ongoing.
- Lung cancer
Targeted therapies and checkpoint inhibitors are currently the immunotherapy treatments of choice, and these seem to have better success rates than chemotherapy.
The success rate climbs even higher when immunotherapy treatments are combined with chemotherapy treatments.
- Liver cancer
Checkpoint inhibitors are currently the best forms of defence against this cancer as far as immunotherapy is concerned.
The hepatitis virus is the major cause of liver cancer, and so antiviral drugs that help treat the virus can also be helpful in stopping the cancer at the root.
- Leukemia
Through research, a number of immunotherapy treatments have been approved for this blood cancer. Treatments like CAR T-cell therapy and monoclonal antibodies can be used to fight leukemia.
- Kidney cancer
To combat kidney cancer, the FDA has approved both monoclonal antibodies and checkpoint inhibitors. A lot of research is going on particularly about this cancer, so more options will be proffered soon.
Bottomline
It is a known fact that not all cancers are treatable with immunotherapy. But why focus on what it can’t do, rather than what it can do?
This is why we have compiled this list of cancers that can be treated with immunotherapy.
Cheers to your good health!
