Immunotherapy - Cancer Biotherapy

Dealing with a cancer diagnosis is not easy. From both the physical and mental perspective, a cancer diagnosis changes every aspect of your life and the lives of those around you. At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), we understand the impact that a cancer diagnosis can have and work with our patients and their loved ones to help as much as possible during this difficult time. We will explain all of your options and provide you with the information that you need to not only understand your options, but also be an active participant in creating a treatment plan that suits your specific needs.

If you are exploring cancer treatment options, and would like more information about CTCA and our comprehensive, integrated approach to cancer treatment, please call 1-800-615-3055 and speak to one of our Oncology Information Specialists. They can provide you with more information about our treatment facilities.

The core of our immunotherapy philosophy at Cancer Treatment Centers of America is to make sure that you understand and learn how to utilize your body's own power of protection, otherwise known as the immune system. More than likely you are aware that the immune system is your body's natural defense system, but did you also know that it can aid in recovery as well? Immunotherapy (also referred to as biological therapy, cancer biotherapy, or biological response modifier therapy) uses the body’s immune system to fight disease and to hopefully lessen the side effects that may be caused by some treatments.

The idea behind immunotherapy is designed to repair, stimulate, or enhance your body’s own immune responses. Cancer Treatment Centers of America use various immunotherapy treatments such as interferon and colony stimulating factors. These immunotherapy treatments are either used alone or in conjunction with other modalities such as radiation, chemotherapy, and sometimes surgery.

Cancer Immunotherapy - Interferons

Interferons, a form of cancer biotherapy, are a natural substance produced by your body in response to an infection or disease. They are agents with antiviral, antiproliferative, and immunomodulatory properties. Cancer Treatment Centers of America has found manufactured forms of interferon can aid in immunotherapy by helping the body's immune system fight diseases such as cancer more effectively.

Foreign, diseased, or cancerous cells are recognized by your body by special marks on their surfaces. The marks allow your immune system to distinguish those cells from the healthy ones. When your body discovers these foreign, diseased, or cancerous cells, fighter cells are sent to destroy them. Those stimulated cells will then begin producing interferons and other natural substances. This is an important immunotherapy cancer treatment because the substances not only fight foreign invaders, they also prevent the spread and growth of other diseased cells.

There are three types of immunotherapy interferons currently available:

• Interferon-alpha - used to treat several diseases including various types of cancer
• Interferon-beta - used primarily to treat multiple sclerosis
• Interferon-gamma - used in the treatment of chronic granulomatous disease

Immunotherapy Cancer Treatment - Colony Stimulating Factors

Cancer immunotherapy may be used to:

• Control, suppress, or stop processes that may permit cancer growth
• Make cancer cells more susceptible and recognizable so your immune system can more easily destroy them
• Boost immune system cells
• Alter the growth patterns of cancer cells to promote behavior similar to healthy cells
• Reverse or block the process that changes a normal, pre-cancerous cell into a cancerous cell
• Prevent the spreading of cancer cells to other parts of your body
• Stimulate your body's ability to replace or repair cells damaged or destroyed by other forms of cancer treatment, such as radiation or chemotherapy

Immunotherapy - Utilizing Hematopoietic Growth Factors

The immunotherapy experts at Cancer Treatment Centers of America may use your immune system to fight cancer by utilizing what we refer to as Hematopoietic Growth Factors. Hematopoietic means to pertain to or affect the growth of blood cells. Hematopoietic Growth Factors are used to promote the proliferation of bone marrow in aplastic anemia, cytotoxic chemotherapy, or following a bone marrow transplant.

Hematopoietic Growth Factors are basically a group of substances with the ability to support hematopoietic colony formation in vitro. This group includes:

• erythropoietin - stimulates production of red blood cells
• interleukin-3 - can mature cells and have the capability of affecting progenitor cells of several blood cell lines and also affect cells outside of the hematopoietic system
• colony-stimulating factors - performs the same function as interleukin-3

Immunotherapy - Monoclonal Antibodies

Another way the doctors at Cancer Treatment Centers of America use immunotherapy (cancer biotherapy) is by using monoclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies utilize the development of specific antibodies which are directed against antigens located on the surface of tumor cells. CTCA experts do this by taking samples of your tumor cells and processing them. This process detects antigens located on the surface of the cancer cell. Antibodies will then bind to these antigens and eventually kill the cancer. This approach will not work if there is not a sufficient quantity of antigens present that are unique to the tumor cells. The tumor antigens must also be different enough from the antigens so they provoke an antibody response.

The above method produces antibodies that can be used to kill cancer cells. They can also be used as carriers of other substances used for treatment or diagnostic purposes. Chemotherapeutic agents can actually be attached to monoclonal antibodies to deliver high concentrations of toxic substances directly to the tumor cells. This approach appears to be more effective than conventional chemotherapy because it reduces the delivery of harmful agents to normal tissues.

Cancer Treatment Centers of America has found monoclonal antibodies to be useful in the treatment of hematologic malignancies. They are also currently in development to be used against solid tumors. There are some potential side effects of monoclonal antibodies that you should be aware of:

• dyspnea
• fever and chills
• headache
• rash
• nausea and vomiting
• tachycardia
• allergic reactions

CTCA - Immunotherapy Cancer Treatment Center

The doctors and caregivers at Cancer Treatment Centers of America know how emotionally devastating all forms of cancer can be. It is a difficult time for those diagnosed and also for family members and friends. In addition to the immunotherapy cancer treatment described above, CTCA enriches your treatment by offering other complementary and alternative therapies such as naturopathic medicine, nutritional therapy, mind-body medicine, image enhancement and spiritual counseling. CTCA is here to help you any way we can.

Call us today at 1-800-615-3055 to speak with one of our Oncology Information Specialists about your treatment options.

Additional Cancer Information and Resources