Dipika Kakar, an actress who stars in television shows, is currently on her way to undergo immunotherapy to treat cancer, according to reports from her husband, Shoaib Ibrahim. People are getting interested in the matter, especially since most are unfamiliar with what immunotherapy is.
While there are several types of cancer therapies, such as chemo and radiation, immunotherapy is quite different. Unlike these therapies, which directly destroy cancer cells, this one assists the immune system in recognising and fighting off cancer.
How immunotherapy works
The function of our immune system is to recognise and eliminate anything foreign that is not meant to be in the body. Nevertheless, cancerous cells are able to avoid being noticed, making way for their multiplication and spread within the body.
As stated by Dr Aseem Kumar Samar, Medical Oncologist at CK Birla Hospitals, Jaipur, "Immunotherapy is the therapy that makes use of your immune system to recognise and destroy the cancer cells. Some types of cancer cells may be able to hide from your immune system, but immunotherapy is used to 'reactivate' or enhance your body's own ability to find and destroy them." Put differently, it is more like an assistance than an actual weapon.
How is it different from chemotherapy?
The primary reason why immunotherapy has gotten so much attention recently is that it uses an entirely different approach compared to conventional methods for cancer treatment. Conventional cancer treatment mostly attacks cells that are quickly replicating; therefore, they tend to affect both cancerous and noncancerous cells. In contrast, immunotherapy targets the body's defence system against cancer cells.
That difference is not always indicative of which method should be used. It all depends on the type of cancer and its progression.
Which cancers can be treated with immunotherapy?
Over the past decade, immunotherapy has transformed treatment options for several cancers. According to Dr Samar, the treatment has shown significant success in cancers such as lung cancer, melanoma, kidney cancer, bladder cancer and certain head and neck cancers.
Is immunotherapy suitable for everyone?
Even though immunotherapy has become more popular recently, it is not always advised for every cancer patient.
There are various considerations that doctors have to take into account when making such decisions. Those include cancer type and cancer's development stage, along with certain molecular markers in a tumour and the general health condition of a patient.
Why is immunotherapy being called a breakthrough
The treatment of cancer has undergone numerous changes through time, and one of the most remarkable developments in cancer treatment can be called the introduction of immunotherapy. According to Dr Samar, the treatment has helped improve the lives of many people suffering from metastatic cancer. Though it is not considered a universal solution, it provides another opportunity for patients whose chances were limited before.
Awareness is expected to increase with growing publicity around issues relating to the treatment and journey of patients such as Dipika Kakar, allowing people to realise that nowadays cancer treatment has become highly personalised.
