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Doctors treat cancer in many different ways. What works for one type of cancer might not work for another. That's the case with immunotherapy. It's one of the newest cancer treatments that works by strengthening your immune system against cancer cells. But, it's not a treatment for all cancers—at least not yet. Today, immunotherapy may be an important part of treatment for these seven cancers.
Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer was the first cancer approved for treatment with immunotherapy. Standard treatment for bladder cancer is surgery and cancer-killing drugs (chemotherapy). Immunotherapy may help people at high risk of the cancer coming back after their treatment.
Doctors inject weakened bacteria—called BCG—into the bladder. The bacteria do not cause an infection. Instead, they stimulate the immune system. The immune system then can do a better job of finding and attacking cancer cells. This seems to work for about 70% of people treated with this type of immunotherapy.
Breast Cancer
Many women with early breast cancer have surgery for their treatment. Doctors may also use X-ray treatments (radiation) and chemotherapy. For some women, immunotherapy may also be part of their treatment. These women have the highest levels of a protein on their cancer cells called HER2. This protein helps the cancer cells grow. Man-made proteins —called monoclonal antibodies—can bind to this protein and help stop cell growth.
Colon and Rectal Cancer
The most common treatment for colorectal cancer is surgery. Chemotherapy is important for advanced colorectal cancer. Immunotherapy may also help. About half of all people diagnosed with colorectal cancer already have a later stage of disease and develop advanced cancer that spreads to their liver. Monoclonal antibodies can improve survival when added to chemotherapy. This type of immunotherapy can reduce blood supply to the cancer cells, which inhibits growth.
Lung Cancer
Advanced lung cancer is generally hard to treat. Some people with advanced lung cancer respond well to immunotherapy. This treatment lets them live longer. The treatment involves immune checkpoint inhibitors. They make the body more able to find and attack cancer cells. In 2015, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two checkpoint inhibitors for lung cancer in which standard chemotherapy has stopped working. Researchers are working on several others.
Lymphoma
Adding monoclonal antibody immunotherapy to chemotherapy has become a main treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Most people with non-Hodgkin lymphoma have a B cell type. Treatment with monoclonal antibodies is now standard care for all B-cell lymphomas. For Hodgkin lymphoma, checkpoint inhibitors are considered a breakthrough treatment. That's because almost 90% of patients respond to the treatment.
Melanoma
Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer. Immunotherapy is now a major part of treating this cancer. Surgery is the main treatment for early melanoma. Immunotherapy is used for advanced melanoma. Checkpoint inhibitors may greatly improve survival in advanced melanoma. Three checkpoint inhibitors have FDA approval for advanced melanoma. Studies show that combining some of these may improve survival even more than using them alone.
Prostate Cancer
An immunotherapy vaccine is available for very advanced prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the only cancer with an approved immunotherapy vaccine. The vaccine stimulates the immune system by making it recognize prostate cancer proteins. The immune system then gets better at finding and attacking the active cancer cells. This treatment gives men with advanced prostate cancer a longer life. Scientists are studying vaccines for many other cancers.
Exploring Immunotherapy for Cancer
No matter what type of cancer you have, ask your oncologist about immunotherapy. If you are seeking a new doctor for your treatment needs, start your search on Healthgrades.com for a cancer specialist with immunotherapy experience. Keep in mind that cancer research is ongoing and new treatments are evolving. If there is no FDA-approved immunotherapy for the type and stage of cancer you have, there may be a clinical trial. This is a research study that tests new drugs in human subjects.
