Dr. James Mackey highlights the different types of immunotherapy used in treating cancer.
Southlake, TX, April 17, 2019– Immunotherapy treatments help to boost the natural defenses of the body to fight cancer. It uses substances produced in the body or from a laboratory to restore the function of the immune system. Immunotherapy slows or stops the growth of cancer cells, prevents cancer from spreading, and also helps the immune system to work better at destroying the cancer cells.

“Immunotherapy is an effective treatment for cancers that have resisted radiation and chemotherapy (melanoma cancers),” said Dr. Mackey. “It provides the possibility for long-term remissions and may not cause the same side effects as radiation and chemotherapy.”

There are several types of immunotherapy used in cancer treatment including:

• Monoclonal antibodies – Antibodies are produced in the body to fight infection. Monoclonal antibodies are immune system proteins produced in the lab to attach to specific targets found on the cancer cells (targeted therapy). Some monoclonal antibodies mark cancer cell so that the immune system can detect and destroy them. These are immunotherapy.

• Checkpoint inhibitors – They are drugs that assist the immune system to respond aggressively to tumors. They work by releasing brakes on the T cells to keep them from killing cancer cells. The drugs do not target the tumor directly but interfere with the ability of cancer cells to avoid the attack from the immune system.

• Adoptive cell transfer –The treatment boosts the natural ability of the T cells to fight and destroy cancer. The T cells are mined from the tumor, and those that are most active against cancer are multiplied in the lab and injected back into the body intravenously.

“Immunotherapy can cause different side effects depending on how healthy you were before treatment, the type of cancer and how advanced it is, and the type of therapy and doses you are getting," continued Dr. Mackey.

About Southlake Oncology
Southlake Oncology, located in the Southlake and Grapevine area is a community-focused oncology practice that delivers exceptional care to North Texas cancer patients with a variety of cancer diagnoses and blood disorders. Like the other Choice Cancer Care facilities, we are an independent treatment center that is physician-owned.