What is the effect of immunotherapy for kidney cancer
The immune system of the human body is responsible for protecting against the penetration of viruses, cancer cells, bacteria. Immunotherapy for kidney cancer is also called biological therapy - it is a method of treatment that helps to activate the work of immunity and is considered one of the standard ways of treating patients with metastatic renal oncology.
Types of immunotherapy
Immunotherapy, which is organized with a kidney cancer, classifies in two ways:
- Palliative therapy with advanced oncology as the main disease. A positive reaction is noted from 16 to 36% of cases, which includes both regression of metastases and stabilization of the patient's condition. The result of treatment is completely dependent on the previous operation, the general state of human health, the time of diagnosis of the disease, the location and prevalence of metastases. With non-extensive metastases in the lungs, the positive result increases by 40%, and the main goal of the treatment is to improve the quality of life.
- Adjuvant therapy - this direction of treatment has been studied somewhat less. The need for such a method is obvious, but lack of research. Usually, similar therapy is performed for the following patient groups:
- Presence of metastatic lesions in the lymph nodes.
- Carrying out a resection of the kidney.
Immunotherapy drugs can be toxic, so side effects from them often become nausea with vomiting, lower blood pressure, irregular heartbeat rhythm, lack of appetite, bleeding in the stomach and intestines, impaired kidney function, skin rash, fever, etc. Most often, such manifestations are reversible and at the end of the use of the drug spontaneously pass.
With the penetration of metastases in the brain, immunotherapy is ineffective.
Immunotherapy can be implemented alone or in combination with other medications. It helps prevent the growth of malignant cells and makes them vulnerable to human immunity. Side effects of the treatment are like signs of flu - febrile condition, muscle pain, chills, lack of appetite, fatigue, headaches. With more prolonged use, a person becomes very thin, he has frequent depressions. With the prevention of side effects, it is recommended not to break the dosage of the drugs and take them with certain interruptions in treatment.
This is important! In the field of oncology, it is possible to achieve positive dynamics only if complex treatment is implemented, and, therefore, an optimal scheme of effects is being developed. In accordance with the conducted studies, immunotherapy is becoming an effective method of treatment.
Treatment is more successful in patients at a young age, with a satisfactory general health status or after removal of the primary tumor. Subsequent consideration of the method contributes to the invention of drugs with high efficiency, which will significantly improve the quality of life and increase its duration.
Organization of Specific Immunotherapy
Specific effects in renal oncology include the use of vaccines based on tumor cells. Vaccines are made from living, genetically modified tumor cells or from embryonic cells or peptides. Some types of vaccines based on tumor cells allow to achieve good results when they are used simultaneously with local nephrectomy or in the absence of metastatic lesion. With the spread of metastases, this therapy has no effect.
Organization of nonspecific immunotherapy
For the treatment of oncology of the kidney, drugs such as interleukin or interferon and the like are used.
Interferon proteins produce antiviral, immunomodulatory, and slow down the growth of malignant tumor cells.
This is important! As a rule, interferon is administered subcutaneously several times a week. If the tumor is well influenced by the drug, the effect can be seen only after three to four months.
As for the side effect, its symptoms are similar to the symptoms of influenza, namely: body temperature rise, chills, appetite impairment, headaches, depressive states, weakness
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