Biotherapy/Immunotherapy for Pharyngeal Cancer

Pharyngeal Cancer Treatment: Biotherapy/Immunotherapy

At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), it is our belief that pharyngeal cancer treatment can be enhanced by using the body's own power of protection—the immune system. Immunotherapy (also called biotherapy, biological response modifier therapy or biological therapy) uses your immune system to help fight pharyngeal cancer. It may also lessen side effects caused by conventional cancer treatments.

Cancer can develop when the immune system does not function properly. Biotherapy/immunotherapy, however, can repair, stimulate or enhance your body’s immune responses.

Biotherapy/immunotherapy may be used to:

1. Stop, control or suppress processes that permit pharyngeal cancer growth
2. Make pharyngeal cancer cells easier for your immune system to identify/more susceptible to destruction
3. Boost your immune system’s cells, such as T-cells, NK-cells and macrophages
4. Alter pharyngeal cancer cells' growth patterns to promote behavior like that of healthy cells
5. Block or reverse the process that changes a normal or precancerous cell into a cancerous cell
6. Enhance your body’s natural ability to repair or replace normal cells damaged or destroyed by other forms of pharyngeal cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy or radiation
7. Prevent pharyngeal cancer cells from spreading to other parts of your body

CTCA uses pharyngeal cancer treatments such as interferon and colony stimulating factors, either alone or with surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy.

Next Topic: Local Hyperthermia for Pharyngeal Cancer