Experts Discuss Unique Side Effects of Immunotherapy

If you have mesothelioma and you’ve already received standard-of-care therapies, you may be considering an immunotherapy clinical trial. If you’re considering this option, a free immunotherapy teleconference is a great place to learn more. CancerCare recently hosted two one-hour education workshops featuring panels of immunotherapy experts. Part I of the teleconference presented an overview of immunotherapy. Part II of the teleconference, which is available online for free, focused exclusively on immunotherapy side effects. Understanding these issues and the role each patient plays in managing their own side effects is critical to successful clinical trial participation. Side Effects: Immunotherapy Vs. Chemotherapy Dr. Susan Slovin, panelist and attending physician of genitourinary oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), explained the basics of chemotherapy and immunotherapy side effects. “Chemotherapy gets at the DNA, or the reproductive site, of cancer cells. It also affects normal cell function and reproduction. These actions on normal cells drive general side effects like nausea and fatigue,” Slovin explained. Immunotherapy’s mechanism of action is very different, so the side effect profile is different as well. Unlike chemotherapy, immunotherapy does not destroy cancer directly. The goal of immunotherapy is to manipulate the immune system to kill cancer without destroying normal tissue. “With normal immunity, our bodies produce substances to...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news