Immunotherapy is a new area of cancer treatment that is being studied for treating metastatic breast cancer. Read on to see how it works.
Immunotherapy is a new area of cancer treatment that uses your body’s immune system to fight cancer. This type of treatment has proven successful in increasing survival rates in people with certain types of cancer.
In recent years, researchers have been looking into immunotherapy for metastatic breast cancer.
Initially, researchers were uncertain about the immune system’s involvement in breast cancer. However,
Keep reading to learn more about how immunotherapy works and what types of immunotherapy are being studied for treating breast cancer.
TREATING METASTATIC BREAST CANCERThe most important factor in treatment decisions for metastatic breast cancer is the type of cancer. For example, treatment for triple-negative cancer will look different from treatment for hormone-positive cancer. Treatment varies from person to person and generally focuses on preventing recurrences, eliminating or reducing pain, and maintaining quality of life.
Right now, researchers are primarily studying immunotherapy for advanced metastatic breast cancer. However, it also looks promising for use in other stages of breast cancer.
Many clinical trials are underway, and new treatments are expected to become available soon.
The success of these trials will depend on finding the correct approach for the specific type and stage of breast cancer. It’s also likely that the therapies will be most helpful when they’re combined with other treatments.
If you’re interested in trying immunotherapy, you can consider taking part in a clinical research trial. Many of these trials are for people with metastatic breast cancer who have already had other types of cancer treatment or are currently receiving other types of treatment.
You can talk with your doctor about new treatment options that may be available.
Immunotherapy is a type of treatment that uses your immune system to attack cancer cells.
Your immune system works by attacking substances in your body that it doesn’t recognize, including viruses, bacteria, and cancer cells. Cancer cells present a big challenge because your immune system may not identify them as being different from healthy cells. Immunotherapy helps your immune system work better to fight the cancer cells.
Different types of immunotherapy work in different ways. Some types work by boosting your immune system to help it work better. Others give your immune system more tools, such as antibodies, to attack specific cancer cells.
Researchers are studying four main types of immunotherapy to treat metastatic breast cancer:
- checkpoint inhibitors
- cancer vaccines
- adoptive T-cell therapy
- monoclonal antibodies
Your immune system has certain checkpoints that help prevent it from attacking healthy cells in your body. These checkpoints can also weaken your immune system’s attack on cancer cells.
Checkpoint inhibitors are drugs that prevent certain checkpoints from working. As a result, they make your immune response stronger.
In 2021, the
Cancer vaccines work by stimulating a type of immunity that attacks and kills cancer cells.
Researchers are studying many vaccine strategies in people with breast cancer. Some researchers believe breast cancer vaccines may work best when combined with other therapies. People who haven’t received much breast cancer treatment may also benefit from vaccines.
Vaccines can take months to cause an immune response, so they may not be appropriate for very late stage cancers when used alone. But they may play an important role when used with other therapies. Research in this area is ongoing.
A T cell is a type of white blood cell that plays an important role in the immune response. Adoptive T-cell therapy involves removing your T cells, modifying them to improve their activity, and then injecting them back into your body.
Several studies are underway to test this approach in people with metastatic or triple-negative breast cancer.
Monoclonal antibodies attack very specific parts of cancer cells. They can be made in a laboratory.
There are already monoclonal antibodies available for the treatment of breast cancer.
Monoclonal antibodies can be naked, meaning they work alone, or they can be conjugated, meaning they’re joined to a radioactive particle or a chemotherapy drug.
Trastuzumab (Herceptin) is a naked monoclonal antibody and a chemotherapy drug. It targets the HER2 protein, which is found on some breast cancer cells.
Ado-trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla), a conjugated monoclonal antibody, is attached to a chemotherapy drug. It also targets the HER2 protein.
Pertuzumab (Perjeta) received
Immunotherapy is generally considered to have fewer side effects than other types of cancer treatment. But some people may still experience side effects.
Possible side effects include:
- fever
- chills
- fatigue
- headache
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- weakness
- low blood pressure
- rashes
More serious effects can occur in your lungs, liver, kidneys, and other organs.
The vaccines typically cause only mild side effects. You may also experience injection site reactions, such as itching, skin redness, or other skin color changes. These reactions tend to lessen with time.
Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that helps your immune system fight cancer. Checkpoint inhibitors, cancer vaccines, adoptive T-cell therapy, and monoclonal antibodies are the types of immunotherapy currently being studied for use in metastatic breast cancer.
While immunotherapy has proven effective in treating other types of cancer, it is currently being used only in clinical trials for advanced metastatic breast cancer. It’s best to talk with your doctor about the right type of treatment for you.