Types

Types of Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy can be broadly classified into 3 types:

Active Immunotherapy

In active immunotherapy, the body's own immune system is stimulated to fight disease. Cancer vaccines are examples of active immunotherapy. Some cancer vaccines work by preventing an infection that can lead to cancer, such as human papilloma virus which causes cervical cancer. Attempts to make vaccines that stimulate the body to fight cancer cells specifically or parts of cancer cells have not yet proved very effective. Vaccines can be made from the tumor cells or parts of the tumor cells called antigens. The tumor cells taken from the tumor can be rendered incapable of growing. These cells can be returned to the patient’s system along with other substances made to activate the immune system. There is a lot of research with active immunotherapy, but as yet it has no role in the treatment of mesothelioma.

Passive Immunotherapy

Passive immunotherapy uses immune system components created outside the body. In this method, mouse, or mouse/human hybrid cells are used to make antibody against certain cancer antigens. They make antibodies all of one time, so they are called monoclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibody therapyis the most widely used form of immunotherapy for cancer available today.Some of these have been useful in treating certain cancers. None has yet been shown to work against mesothelioma

Nonspecific Immunotherapy and Adjuvants

Sometimes nonspecific immunotherapy is given alone, while at other times it is used along with other treatments. Interleukins,interferons, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor are some types of nonspecific immunotherapy and adjuvants (agents used to boost another treatments. None of these has been proven to work to stop mesothelioma.

Anna L. Kaplan, M.D.