Book Appointments & Health Checkup Packages
Book Appointments & Health Checkup Packages
Biological Therapy, commonly referred to as Immunotherapy, Biotherapy, or Biological Response Modifier Therapy, targets cancer cells by boosting the immune system. The immune system's organs, cells, and antibodies function to keep the body safe from outside invaders like viruses and bacteria. Researchers and medical professionals have discovered that the immune system may also be able to distinguish between cancerous and healthy cells in the body and get rid of the cancerous cells. The goal of Biological Therapy is to strengthen or reestablish the body's immune system's capacity to defend itself against illness and infection. Utilising your body's natural resources, Biological Therapies can fight cancer. These treatments work by boosting your body's immune system to either eradicate cancer or minimise its unwanted effects. They can occasionally even strengthen your immune system.
When alternative treatments prove to be ineffective, medical practitioners resort to Biological Therapies. Certain tumour forms that doctors know your immune system can eradicate respond well to these treatments. At Manipal Hospitals, Dhakuria, we have an experienced team of medical oncologists trained in providing effective Biological Therapy treatment to improve the lives of cancer patients. Manipal Hospitals is the best place for Biological Therapy in Cancer Treatment in Dhakuria.
Numerous approaches exist in which Biological Therapies enhance your body's reaction to cancer. They can:
Eliminate the circumstances that lead to uncontrollable cell growth
Assist your immune system in halting the spread of cancerous cells
Make it simpler for your immune system to eliminate cancer cells
Induce normal cell growth in cancerous cells to reduce their propensity to spread
Stop the process that turns a healthy cell into a cancerous one
Aid in the restoration of normal cells destroyed by Radiation or Chemotherapy
Stop a cancer cell from proliferating and dividing into other bodily parts
The immune system of the body defends the entire body against invaders like bacteria. Cancer cells are sometimes invisible to the immune system, or the immune system cells are sometimes not able to recognise these cancer cells. Alternatively, immune system cells can also be inhibited by cancer cells.
However, Biological therapies often function by:
Inducing an immunological response against cancerous cells: Treatments using Biological Therapy can do this in several ways. Introducing substances into the body that stimulate the immune system is one method. Another involves reintroducing a person's immune system cells into their body after they have been trained in a lab to combat cancer cells.
Making it simpler for the immune system to identify cancer cells: Targeting the cancer cells with Biological Therapy allows them to switch on or off cell signals that aid in their immune system evasion. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are medications used specifically to target certain receptors on the surface of cancer cells. There, they obstruct the signals that cancer cells transmit to hide from the immune system.
The various types of Biological Therapies are Vaccinations, Cytokine treatments, Monoclonal Antibodies, Colony-Stimulating Factors, Interferons, Interleukins, and Nonspecific Immunomodulating agents.
Non-Specific Immunomodulating medicines are Biological Therapy treatments that enhance the immune system's defence against infections and cancer, particularly for cancer patients.
Interferons (IFN) are natural biological response modifiers that enhance cancer patients' immune system's response against cancer cells by slowing growth, modifying cells to normal behaviour, and stimulating natural killer, T, and macrophage cells.
Interleukins (IL) are naturally occurring proteins that stimulate immune cell growth and activity, including lymphocytes, which help destroy cancer cells.
Colony-Stimulating Factors (CSFs) are proteins given to cancer patients to stimulate bone marrow stem cells to produce more blood cells, which are crucial for the immune system. They help patients receive higher doses of Chemotherapy, allowing them to continue receiving other treatments safely.
Monoclonal Antibodies bind to cancer cells, killing them when cancer-destroying agents are introduced. Examples include trastuzumab for breast cancer and rituximab for lymphoma.
Cytokine Therapy uses proteins to help the immune system recognise and destroy cancerous cells. It is used with advanced melanoma and Adjuvant Therapy.
Vaccine Therapy is an experimental biological treatment given after the disease develops and is sometimes combined with Cytokine Therapy.
A common form of Biological Therapy for a variety of malignancies and other conditions is the use of Monoclonal Antibodies. These antibodies can be created in a lab and are intended to target particular proteins expressed by abnormal cells.
A few examples of monoclonal antibody medications are:
Rituximab treats non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
Alemtuzumab (Campath) treats chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL)
Ipilimumab (Yervoy) treats metastatic melanoma
Four to eight cycles of treatment could be included in a three-to-six-month period. A cycle consists of the duration of your therapy and the subsequent period of relaxation. Resting allows your body to recover quickly from the side effects of Biological Therapy.
The goal of both treatments is to eradicate cancer cells. Chemotherapy uses chemicals to kill cancer cells that have already spread, whereas Biological Therapies are derived from living organisms that can alter the immune response. Both therapies come in several varieties. The patient's medical history and the type of disease to be treated determine which therapy is best for you.
Both treatment options come with the possibility of a lengthy list of adverse effects, just like any prescription drug. They differ from person to person and might be mild or severe.
Everybody has a unique medical history and diagnosis, and this also affects how they respond to treatment. There could be zero, mild, or severe side effects. Before starting treatment, make sure to discuss all potential side effects with your cancer care team.
The following are possible side effects of Biological Therapy, which frequently resemble flu-like symptoms and depend on the kind of treatment administered:
Fever and chills
Nausea, vomiting, appetite loss, and exhaustion
To be more precise, Cytokine Therapy frequently results in fever, chills, pain, and exhaustion. Rashes or oedema at the injection site are examples of additional adverse effects. Therapy may impact the heart and blood pressure, as well as lead to bone pain and exhaustion.
Home Dhakuria Specialities Medical-oncology Biological-therapy-for-the-treatment-of-cancer