Understanding Immunotherapy for

Mesothelioma

Today’s Moderator:Dana Nolan, MS LMHC

Licensed Mental Health Counselor

A New Direction

Targeted therapy is the new buzzword in cancer research and treatment.

The American Cancer Society defines targeted therapy as “a newer type of cancer treatment that uses drugs or other substances to more precisely identify and attack cancer cells, usually while doing little damage to normal cells.”

SOURCE: www.cancer.org/treatment/treatment-and-side-effects/treatment-types/targeted-therapy.html

(877) 626-5916

Chemotherapy & Cell Division

Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses drugs called “cytostatics,” which stops cells that divide rapidly and uncontrollably.

Cancer cells follow that pattern. But other types of cells in our body also quickly divide: Hair cellsCells that lining our mouth and GI tractBlood cells

(877) 626-5916

Chemotherapy Side Effects

When chemotherapy damages healthy cells, patients experience side effects. The most common side effects include:Hair lossNausea and vomitingDiarrheaFatigueComplications from low blood counts

(877) 626-5916

Looking Beyond Chemotherapy

Because chemotherapy doesn’t effectively treat all cancers and the side effects can be challenging to manage, researchers are searching for better ways to fight cancer.

Immunotherapy is a type of targeted therapy showing promise with many types of cancer, including mesothelioma.

(877) 626-5916

What Is Immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy is the name for a variety of treatments that boost the immune system in order to fight cancer.

Immunotherapy is considered a targeted therapy it only focuses on cancer cells, not healthy ones.

(877) 626-5916

Our Immune System

It’s a complex system of organs, specialized cells and substances that protect the body from germs, viruses and diseases

The immune system plays an important role in detecting and eliminating cells that may become cancerous.

Immunotherapy treatment improves the body’s natural defense system to detect and fight cancer cells.

(877) 626-5916

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy works in several ways:Halts the spread of cancer cells to other parts

of the bodyPrevents cancer cells from growing or dividing

rapidlyMakes the body’s immune system stronger

to fight cancer cells more effectively

(877) 626-5916

How Do Immunotherapy Drugs/Antibodies Work?

Monoclonal antibodies developed in a lab and given to the patient help the immune system identify the cancer cells when they attach themselves to those cells.

Keytruda, a drug currently being tested in mesothelioma clinical trials, inhibits a particular pathway in cell division to help the immune system recognize and fight the cancer cells.

(877) 626-5916

Immunotherapy vs. Other Cancer Treatments

The FDA approved several immunotherapy treatments for other kinds of cancers such as those of the lung, head, neck and skin.

Researchers are testing some of those immunotherapy treatments to see if they are effective on mesothelioma patients.

(877) 626-5916

Immunotherapy vs. Other Cancer Treatments (cont.)

Preliminary reports show immunotherapy is most helpful when combined with conventional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.

Not all patients are eligible for currently approved immunotherapy treatments because their cancer type has not responded well to those therapies.

(877) 626-5916

Why Isn’t Immunotherapy Standard of Care?

Immunotherapy has helped some patients in mesothelioma clinical trials, but the FDA has not approved it because more testing is needed.

Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation or a combination of two or more of these remains the current standard of care for mesothelioma.

(877) 626-5916

Hope for Future Mesothelioma Treatments

Pharmaceutical and biomedical companies are spending plenty of time and money researching targeted therapy, but more funding is needed.

It is tedious work, and the FDA requires rigorous testing of new treatments to assure new treatments work and don’t harm patients.

However, immunotherapy is showing great promise as part of multimodal cancer treatment.

(877) 626-5916

Contact Information

1-877-626-5916

(877) 626-5916

Facebook.com/themesocenter

@TheMesoCenter