Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses the body's immune system to fight cancer cells. Mesothelioma immunotherapy can help the body's immune system better recognize and attack mesothelioma cells.
This mesothelioma treatment can be used alone or in combination with other treatments, such as surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy.
What is Immunotherapy?
Immunotherapy treatments work by stimulating or suppressing the immune system. Some mesothelioma immunotherapy drugs help the immune system to work better against cancer cells. However, other immunotherapy drugs help to stop cancer cells from growing.
Furthermore, the immune system is made up of many different types of cells that work together to protect the body from infection and disease. The two main types of immunotherapy treatment for mesothelioma are immunotherapy drugs and immunotherapy vaccines.
Immunotherapy Drugs
There are many different types of immunotherapy drugs. Some drugs are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat mesothelioma, while other immunotherapy drugs are being studied in clinical trials.
FDA-Approved Immunotherapy Drugs
Immunotherapy drugs that are approved by the FDA include:
- Pembrolizumab (Keytruda)
- Nivolumab (Opdivo)
- Ipilimumab (Yervoy)
- Alimta (Pemetrexed Disodium)
- Gemcitabine (Gemzar)
- Cisplatin
- Carboplatin
Immunotherapy drugs that are approved by the FDA to treat other types of cancer, but are being studied in clinical trials for the treatment of mesothelioma, include:
- Atezolizumab (Tecentriq)
- Bevacizumab (Avastin)
- Sorafenib (Nexavar)
- Durvalumab (Imfinzi)
- Avelumab (Bavencio)
Immunotherapy Vaccines
Immunotherapy vaccines are being studied in clinical trials for the treatment of mesothelioma. These vaccines work by stimulating the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.
The two immunotherapy vaccines that are still being studied in clinical trials for the treatment of mesothelioma are MAGE-A3 and MesoVax.
MesoVax is a vaccine made from proteins found on the surface of mesothelioma cells. The vaccine stimulates the immune system to recognize and attack mesothelioma cells.
MAGE-A3 is a vaccine that is made from a protein that is found on the surface of many types of cancer cells, including mesothelioma cells. Thus, the vaccine stimulates the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells that express the MAGE-A3 protein.
Benefits of Immunotherapy
There are several benefits of immunotherapy for mesothelioma patients, including:
1. Fewer Side Effects
Immunotherapy treatment generally has fewer side effects than other cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy. This is because mesothelioma immunotherapy specifically targets cancer cells, rather than healthy cells.
2. Increased Life Expectancy
Immunotherapy studies show promising results on helping extend the life expectancy of mesothelioma patients.
3. Improved Quality of Life
Immunotherapy can also improve the quality of life for mesothelioma patients. This is because immunotherapy generally has fewer side effects than other cancer treatments.
Downsides of Immunotherapy
There are also some downsides of treating mesothelioma with immunotherapy, including:
1. Not Effective for All Patients
Immunotherapy is not effective for all patients. Some patients may not respond to immunotherapy treatments.
2. Expensive
Immunotherapy can be expensive. Immunotherapy drugs can cost thousands of dollars per month. The cost will vary greatly from between drugs.
For example, Monoclonal Antibodies such as Nivolumab (Opdivo) costs $6,580 per infusion and Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) costs $10,268 a month
3. Side Effects
Immunotherapy treatment can still cause side effects. These side effects will vary depending on the individual and the drug. Some of the more common side effects from FDA approved immunotherapy drugs include:
- headaches
- nausea
- rash
- vomiting
- fatigue
- muscle aches
- coughing
- constipation
- chills
- diarrhea
- fever
- itching
- hypothyroidism
- arthritis
Immunotherapy is a promising treatment option for mesothelioma. Immunotherapy treatments work by boosting or inhibiting the immune system in order for the body to recognize and destroy cancer cells more effectively.
Treatment with immunotherapy might be used alone or in conjunction with other therapies, such as surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy.
Clinical trials are ongoing to further evaluate the safety and effectiveness of immunotherapy.
