How Immunotherapy Is Making An Impact In Liver Cancer

When liver cancer reaches the severe stage, symptoms like fatigue, nausea, back pain, vomiting, weight loss, jaundice, fever, liver swelling, etc., are observed. There were 840,000 cases of liver cancer across the globe in 2018. Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common liver cancer types. This cancer is caused due to Hepatitis B or C infections and excessive consumption of alcohol.

Patients having liver cancer have a survival rate of 31% and can live for three to five years. When this cancer spreads to surrounding organs and lymph nodes, the survival rate drops to 11%, whereas the survival rate is only 3% once this cancer spreads to body organs. Therefore, the best treatment for liver cancer from top specialists and surgeons is required.

What is Immunotherapy?

We are very well aware that the immune system is responsible for fighting against harmful infections and diseases. The immune system is the combination of white blood cells, tissues, and organs of the lymph system. One of the best treatments for liver cancer is Immunotherapy. This therapy aids a person’s immune system to fight against liver cancer. In immunotherapy, liver cancer is treated with substances made from living organisms. Hence, it is referred to as biologic therapy.

Immunotherapy For Liver Cancer

Immunotherapy is also known as immunology. In immunotherapy, the immune system is made able to recognize healthy cells and attack cancer cells. This therapy boosts immune cells that eliminate liver cancer. There are several forms of immunotherapy – cancer vaccines, checkpoint inhibitors, oncolytic or tumour-infecting viruses, targeted antibodies, adjuvants, and cytokines.

• Checkpoint Inhibitors:In this treatment, drugs are given to patients to help the immune system recognize the healthy and cancer cells.

• Cytokines: Cytokines are proteins used for carrying a message between cells. In this treatment, cytokines help the immune cells to attack cancer cells.

• Cancer Vaccines: In this treatment, cancer vaccines are given to cancer patients. Such vaccines help the immune system to fight against cancer.

• Monoclonal Antibodies (MoAbs): MoAbs are human-made proteins of the immune system. These proteins attack a specific cancer cell’s part.

• Oncolytic Viruses: Viruses are created in laboratories for killing tumour cells and treating cancer.

Immunotherapy treatment is also sometimes carried out using genetic engineering. The cancer-fighting property of the immune system’s cells is empowered using this genetic engineering. Such a type of immunotherapy is referred to as Gene Therapy. Immunotherapy is often combined with radiation, chemotherapy, or surgery to treat and prevent many other cancer types.

Also Read: SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF LUNG CANCER

Why Immunotherapy Has Great Impact On Liver Cancer?

For liver and many other cancer treatments, immunotherapies have been approved throughout the world because of their outcome. After the immense research, testing, and effectiveness, immunotherapies have been accepted worldwide. But, this treatment may not always work positively for every patient. Many immunotherapies have severe side-effects, which are later manageable.

Immunotherapy is quite effective and is helping oncologists save the lives of a major number of liver cancer patients. However, several methods to determine whether the patient is compatible and respond to immunotherapy are in progress.

Why Choose Immunotherapy?

Several oncologists throughout the world suggest immunotherapy for treating liver cancer and also for many other severe cancer. Here are a few reasons why you must select immunotherapy for liver cancer.

1. Immunotherapy has proved to be one of the successful cancer treatments for several cancer types. When treatment, like radiation or chemotherapy for some cancers, are not sufficient, immunotherapy has shown its results.

2. Chemotherapy or radiation works well with immunotherapy and shows an effective outcome in treating cancers.

3. Immunotherapy only targets the person’s immune system and not the body cells. Therefore, there are fewer side-effects of immunotherapy than other cancer treatments.

Also Read: WHAT ARE THE LIVER CANCER SYMPTOMS IN FEMALES?

Conclusion

Immunotherapy is one of the most widely adopted treatments for liver cancer because of its outcome and fewer side-effects than other treatments. Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre in Delhi is a non-profit centre, providing the best cancer treatment.