Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a non-invasive biological treatment. It boosts the natural defense system of the body by making the immune system strong. The immune system of the body involves the white blood cells, bone marrow, lymphatic system, antibodies and spleen. When the white blood cells identify any sort of production of cancerous cell, they instantly wage a response against the cancerous production of cells in order to prevent them from growing, but the strong cancerous cells create an environment which makes it is difficult for the white blood cells to recognize them. Hence the cancerous cells keep on replicating and the production of white blood cells is halted, the cancer keeps on spreading. Immunotherapies are of different types; some kill the cancerous cells; others aim to halt or stop the cancerous cells from invading other organs. The dose of the medicine depends on the general health, stage of cancer, age of the patient and the location of the cancer. These drugs work best when combined with other treatments such as chemotherapy. The effectiveness of immunotherapy is 20%, but it does have certain side effects which include:
- Itching
- Muscle aches
- Loss of appetite
- Cough and fever