The main types of immunotherapy abroad
Monoclonal antibodies: antibodies circulate in the body in search of the antigen contained in cancer cells, and after finding it, they trigger the immune system to fight the tumor. The laboratory develops antibodies that target a specific antigen, then they are repeatedly copied and injected into the body.
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: To distinguish your cells from foreign ones, the immune system uses "checkpoints" — molecules that need to be activated or deactivated to initiate an immune response. Cancer cells sometimes disguise themselves so that the immune system does not recognize them. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are drugs that act on molecules and trigger the desired antitumor response of the immune system. They are used in the treatment of lymphoma, bladder, skin and lung cancer.
Vaccines: Viruses are the cause of some cancers. Such viruses include: human papillomavirus, which causes cancer of the cervix, throat and others, as well as hepatitis B virus, which causes liver cancer. Antiviral vaccines protect against infection and help prevent the appearance of tumors. Vaccines for cancer treatment are different from antiviral ones. They are created individually from the patient's cells and injected into the body, triggering an immune response against the tumor. Vaccines are used in the treatment of tumors of the brain, mammary glands, kidneys, lungs, prostate and pancreas.
Non-specific immunotherapy: such therapy does not target cancer cells, it affects the immune system as a whole. It is often used as an adjunct to other types of immunotherapy abroad. The patient is injected with cytokines, substances that control the growth and activity of immune cells, or interferons, which slow down the growth of cancer cells and help the body resist the tumor. This is how kidney cancer and melanoma are treated.
The benefits of immunotherapy abroad
- Specially created drugs: In immunotherapy, drugs are created from the patient's cells. Individually developed medicines are safe and effective.
- Few side effects: it affects only the immune system, not the entire body. Side effects and contraindications are minimal compared to traditional methods.
- Effectiveness: immunotherapy abroad treats cancer in cases where malignant cells do not respond to chemotherapy, radiation and surgical treatment. It is successful in 60-80% of cases. Immunotherapy reduces the risk of recurrence by 50%, as the immune system remembers the reaction and then fights cancer cells on its own.
Immunotherapy abroad: where it is carried out
Immunotherapy is one of the cutting—edge areas in cancer treatment. The mechanisms of its action are being actively studied, and new types of therapy are being developed. It is used in clinics in the USA, Israel, Europe, South Korea, China, Turkey, India. The cost of such therapy is relatively high — the annual course costs about $ 100,000.
