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World Cancer Day is observed on February 4 every year to raise awareness about cancer in all of its forms, effects, treatments, and recovery. Cancer-fighting technology has advanced by leaps and bounds in recent years, and one newer technology known to be effective in treating cancer is Immunotherapy, which has now reached Malaysian shores.
Immunotherapy is unique in that it combats cancer by utilising the body’s own immune system. It can also help to prevent the development of cancer by detecting and eliminating faulty or mutated cells in the body before they pose a serious threat.
Dr Hafizah Zaharah Ahmad, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at Sunway Medical Centre Velocity (SMCV), describes the immune system as our bodies’ police force, designed to protect us from infection, illness, and disease.
However, Cancer can still develop when the immune system is not strong enough to kill cancer cells or when cancer cells hide from the immune system due to their ability to camouflage and resemble normal cells.
What makes immunotherapy different?
Immunotherapy as a cancer treatment is more targeted as it treats patients by acting on their immune system.
The immune system occasionally fails to identify cancer cells as a threat because they begin in healthy cells. These cancer cells have the ability to “brake” immune cells, preventing the immune system from attacking them. Checkpoint inhibitors, a form of immunotherapy, remove the immune system’s “brakes” to enable it recognise and combat cancer cells.
“Immunotherapy uses the immune system to fight cancer. Immunotherapy can boost or change how the immune system works so it can recognise and kill cancer cells,” Dr Hafizah explains.
She adds that various immunotherapy agents are typically given as an vein (IV) infusion once every two, three, or four weeks and can be given alone or in combination with targeted therapy or chemotherapy. Immunotherapy treatment for advanced stage cancer is typically given for two years, along with close monitoring.
Ensuring patients are on the right track
Although immunotherapy may appear to be the light at the end of the tunnel for cancer patients, Dr. Hafizah warns that the treatment will not work for all cancers.
Before beginning immunotherapy, patients have to first undergo a specific biomarker test such as the PD-L1 test, performed on a cancer specimen to ensure that the patient will respond to the treatment.
Non-small cell lung cancer, triple negative breast cancer, head and neck cancer, cervical cancer, gastric cancer, esophageal cancer, bladder cancer, melanoma, liver cancer, renal cell carcinoma, endometrial cancer, and colon cancer are all treatable with immunotherapy.
Dr. Hafizah discusses her experience with patients who have responded well to immunotherapy, including one she treated two years ago with advanced malignant melanoma (a type of skin cancer) that had spread and was resistant to chemotherapy. However, following immunotherapy, the patient has remained in complete remission until now.
“Another patient that is currently undergoing immunotherapy treatment under my care is a gentleman with stage 4 colon cancer. A biomarker test was done on the cancer specimen and confirmed to be suitable for immunotherapy. His latest imaging showed near complete resolution of the cancer. However, not all patients are suitable for immunotherapy. As mentioned earlier, a special biomarker test needs to be done before determining the suitability of this treatment,” Dr Hafizah notes.
Side effects, symptoms and allergies
Immunotherapy, like any other form of treatment, has its own set of side effects. The treatment is generally well tolerated, with possible side effects such as fatigue, skin rash, or muscle or joint pain.
“Although rare, some patients could also exhibit allergic reactions including dizziness, fast heart rate, face swelling or breathing problems. Signs of autoimmune reactions which can cause serious problems may occur in the lungs, intestines, liver, hormone-making glands, kidneys, skin, or other. Examples of symptoms to look out for are diarrhoea, severe abdominal pain, worsening cough, shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing,” Dr Hafizah adds.
Each patient’s cancer journey will be unique, but Dr. Hafizah assures that cancer research has pushed cancer treatment to new heights, resulting in higher cancer control or cure rates. She suggests getting medical insurance to help with the rising cost of treatment, and that when faced with a cancer diagnosis, each patient consult with their trusted doctors to find the best possible treatment option.
Sunway Medical Centre Velocity is located at Lingkaran SV, Sunway Velocity. For enquiries, please contact +603 9772 9191 or email [email protected].
For more information on Sunway Medical Centre Velocity, visit www.sunmedvelocity.com.my.
CJMY
