The Hope of ‘Immunotherapy’ in Advanced-Stage Cancer Treatment

Regarding immunotherapy, which can also be applied with chemotherapy in cancer treatment, Medical Oncology Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serkan Çelik said; “Serkan Çelik said, “Immunotherapy has become the first choice in advanced cancer patients, especially in the skin, kidney, lung, stomach, esophagus, and liver cancers. In a recent study, we found that it prevents the risk of metastasis in the early stage of malignant skin cancer.”

Saying that immunotherapy, which wakes the body's immune system cells from sleep and enables them to fight against the tumor, is becoming hope for more and more cancer patients, Medical Oncology Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serkan Çelik gave important information about the latest developments in this regard. He said that immunotherapy is currently used in almost all types of cancer and advanced-stage diseases. Yeditepe University Koşuyolu Hospital Medical Oncology Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serkan Çelik spoke as follows:

“Immunotherapy, a treatment that has been applied since 2010, was first used in melanoma, a malignant skin cancer type, and can be used alone in the treatment of skin cancers today. In addition, we can use immunotherapy alone in kidney cancers and non-small cell lung cancer, which constitutes the majority of lung cancers.”

Fewer Side Effects; Does Not Impair Quality of Life

Reminding that immunotherapy treatment is an intravenous treatment, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Çelik gave the following information about the benefits it provides for the patient:

 “Although it varies according to the stage and type of the disease, immunotherapy can be used with or without chemotherapy. The mechanism of action of immunotherapy is different. As it is known, chemotherapy is a form of treatment that can affect other normal cells in the body as well as cancer cells. But immunotherapy is; shows its effect through immune system cells. For this reason, we do not see side effects such as hair loss, nausea, and vomiting after immunotherapy, which is common in chemotherapy. With this method, the quality of life of the patients during the treatment is better than with chemotherapy.

Immunotherapy has different side effects. Side effects such as skin rash, itching, diarrhea, elevated liver enzymes, and changes in thyroid hormone functions can be seen less frequently and are easily controlled so that the patient's quality of life is not adversely affected.”

First-line Treatment for Most Cancers

Stating that immunotherapy is an increasingly used treatment method in recent years, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Çelik continued his words as follows:

 “This treatment method, which was first started to be applied only for malignant skin cancer, is now a more effective option for almost all types of cancer, advanced stage diseases compared to other treatments. In particular, it has become the first choice in the treatment of kidney, lung, stomach, esophagus, and liver cancers. By performing some special tests from the patient's tumor tissue, we can determine when and for which patient this treatment may be appropriate."

Extends Lifespan

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serkan Çelik stated that immunotherapy treatment now extends the life span in most cancers more, compared to chemotherapy. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serkan Çelik, giving an example of non-small cell lung cancer, said, “If the patient is suitable for immunotherapy treatment, the life expectancy, which is normally an average of 1 year with chemotherapy, increases to more than 3 years in this subgroup. So much so that the number of our patients living over 5 years is increasing. Recently, the American Cancer Society announced that life expectancy has increased to 99 percent in patients with advanced lung cancer who have responded to immunotherapy for a long time. By using immunotherapy, we can almost track cancer as a chronic disease in some patients.”

Prevents the Risk of Cancer Metastasis; Effective in Cervical Cancer

Yeditepe University Koşuyolu Hospital Medical Oncology Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serkan Çelik gave the following information about the study data announced by European Cancer Congress (ESMO):

“It has been shown that when immunotherapy is used, especially in the early stage of melanoma, the risk of the disease coming back is markedly reduced. In addition, it has been announced that a 35-40 percent improvement in life expectancy can be achieved by adding immunotherapy to chemotherapy in advanced cervical cancer. It has also been proven that immunotherapy reduces the risk of recurring disease in patients who have had surgery for lung cancer. As a result, immunotherapy has become a promising treatment option in almost all types of cancer, as it both prolongs the patient's life expectancy and increases the quality of life compared to the traditional chemotherapy.”

Press Coverage: cnnturk | gazetevatan | star | haberler | sondakika