Cancer treatment possible with reduced adverse effects, study claims

Marking a breakthrough development, scientists have said that immunotherapy was possible with fewer side effects. Immunotherapy, which uses a person’s immune system to treat cancer, has proven effective over the years but is subjected to multiple adverse after effects. However, by using drugs given to arthritis patients, the negative consequences can be minimized, researchers at University of Geneva and Harvard Medical School said.  

Inhibitors to reduce inflammation 

In their study, which was published in journal Science Immunology, the team said that TNF Alpha inhibitors, group of drugs prescribed to arthritis patients to reduced inflammation could stop adverse reactions to the cancer treatment. These negative side effects range from breathing difficulties to muscle aches, swelling, weight gain and could be serious, life threatening in many cases. The lifesaving treatment also causes lethal inflammatory reactions, which could be reduced using the inhibitors.  

“When the immune system is activated so intensively, the resulting inflammatory reaction can have harmful effects and sometimes cause significant damage to healthy tissue,' said study author Professor Mikaël Pittet at UNIGE. “Therefore, we wanted to know if there are differences between a desired immune response, which aims to eliminate cancer, and an unwanted response, which can affect healthy tissue,” he added.

In the study, the team claimed that they’ve established differences between harmful immune reactions and beneficial immune reactions. 'The identification of distinctive elements between these two immune reactions would indeed allow the development of new, more effective and less toxic therapeutic approaches.' Pittet said.

According to US’ National Cancer Institute, there are multiple types of cancer treatment and the type of treatment that you receive will depend on the type of cancer you have and how advanced it is.  Immunotherapy, which is a biological therapy, uses substances made from living organisms to treat cancer. “Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that helps your immune system fight cancer. The immune system helps your body fight infections and other diseases. It is made up of white blood cells and organs and tissues of the lymph system” according to NCI.

Image: National Cancer Institute