Treating Cancer with Immunotherapy (video/podcast)

When you think of cancer treatments, surgery, radiation or chemotherapy are probably the first that come to mind. While these are the most common cancer treatments, they are not the only ones. As research advances, more approaches to treating cancer are being developed — such as immunotherapy.

In this video, San Diego Health host Susan Taylor talks with David Hermel, MD, a hematologist and medical oncologist at Scripps Cancer Center, about immunotherapy and how it is being used to fight cancer.

Simply put, immunotherapy is therapy that alters the immune system to better target cancer cells.

 “We all have an immune system which protects us from bacteria and viruses,” says Dr. Hermel. “When we can change that immune system to recognize cancer cells as foreign, that is immunotherapy.”

Unlike chemotherapy, which typically will destroy both cancerous and healthy cells, immunotherapy is a more precise approach designed to kill only cancer cells.

The effectiveness and benefit of immunotherapy depends upon the type of cancer being treated. Some cancers, such as melanoma, are especially susceptible to immunotherapy, but it can be useful in treating a wide range of cancers.

Immunotherapy can take various forms. These include:

The oldest type of immunotherapy is a bone marrow transplant, which replaces unhealthy blood stem cells with healthy ones. The cancer patient receives a transfusion of bone marrow, which is the soft tissue inside the bone that contains blood stem cells, from a healthy person. The blood stem cells develop into new red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

Essentially, a bone marrow transplant involves replacing a sick person’s immune system with one from a healthy person. 

Checkpoints are a normal part of the immune system and keep immune responses from being too strong. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are drugs that block immune checkpoints, allowing immune cells to respond more strongly to cancer.

T cells are white blood cells that are part of the immune system. T cell transfer therapy improves the natural ability of T cells to fight cancer by taking immune cells from the tumor and identifying which of those cells are most active against cancer. These cells are then selected or changed in the lab to better attack cancer cells, grown in large batches and put back into the body through a needle inserted into a vein.

These are immune system proteins created in the lab that are designed to bind to specific targets on cancer cells. Some monoclonal antibodies mark cancer cells so that they will be better seen and destroyed by the immune system. Monoclonal antibodies may also be called therapeutic antibodies.

These vaccines work against cancer by boosting the immune system’s response to cancer cells. Treatment vaccines are different from vaccines that help prevent disease.

Modulators enhance the body’s immune response against cancer. Some of these agents affect specific parts of the immune system, whereas others are more widespread.

The form of immunotherapy used, and the length of time patients are in treatment, depend on the type of cancer being treated. A bone marrow transplant may be a one-time infusion, while others may be given every few weeks. In some cases, immunotherapy may be used in combination with chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Side effects of immunotherapy are generally mild. Since the treatment works by activating the immune system, patients may feel as though they’re getting a cold or illness. Symptoms such as fever, chills, diarrhea or a rash should be reported to the physician

“Here at Scripps Cancer Center, we have a multidisciplinary team of professionals who will guide you through your cancer journey, and many times will incorporate immunotherapy when appropriate,” says Dr. Hermel.

“Together, we’ll be looking at your scans, as well as blood work, on a regular basis to determine if your treatments are working effectively.”

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