The future was never brighter for cancer therapies. We are beginning to treat cancer in a whole new way. Rather than killing cancer cells directly with chemotherapy or radiotherapy the latest new treatments are designed to promote the body’s immune system to destroy the cancer. Cancer Immunotherapies uses the body’s immune system to recognise the cancer cells as harmful and to kill them.
Your immune system is always protecting you from bacteria, viruses and parasites. Once it identifies something that is not you and potentially harmful it attacks and kills it. Cancer tricks your immune system into thinking that its you so that your immune system doesn’t attack and eradicate it, leaving the cancer to grow. New cancer immunotherapy drugs train the immune system to recognise the cancer cells and kill them.
Immunotherapy has seen treatments arising in cancers that were previously considered untreatable including metastatic melanoma and lung cancer and recently immunotherapy drugs (nivolumab and ipilimumab) have been approved for the use in these forms of cancer. Currently there are many clinical trials underway to investigate these drugs abilities to effectively treat other cancers. Despite chemotherapy still being the mainstay of treatment for the majority of patients with advanced cancer, scientific progress and research efforts will see more and more immunotherapies arrive in clinical practice to prolong the life expectancy and the quality of life of patients.
In addition, what sets these immunotherapy drugs apart from conventional chemotherapy is the specificity of these drugs resulting in few side effects for patients allowing the treatment of patients whom may no longer be that may be fit enough for chemotherapy.
For over 12 years, Dr Klein has been extensively involved in undertaking research in the field of Cancer Immunotherapy and is considered a leading expert in the field, heading up the first immunotherapy clinic at the Austin Hospital and Olivia Newton John Cancer Centre in Melbourne. Dr Klein is currently involved in numerous clinical trials, with his extensive experience and knowledge in this exciting and promising field of cancer treatment, Dr Klein is in the position to be able to advise if this form of cancer treatment can potentially benefit you.
