Immunotherapy Side Effects
Side effects
Immunotherapy, also known as biologic therapy, is a standard treatment for cancer that improves the body’s immune system to effectively fight cancer. Immunotherapy involves the use of certain substances that the body makes or come from the laboratory to recognize, improve, restore, or enhance the function of the immune system. Sometimes, the doctor might suggest immunotherapy as the only cancer treatment for certain patients or it might use it by pairing it up with other cancer treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy. However, some types of immunotherapy help in attacking the cancer cells or slow down the rapid spread of cancerous cells to other parts of the body. While in other cases, immunotherapy makes it less challenging for the immune system to fight cancer cells. [5]
Although immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment, but it certain types of immunotherapy somehow results in attacking the healthy cells which might lead to side effects. The varied types of immunotherapy can cause varied side effects. Several side effects rely on the type of cancer, the location of cancer, the overall health condition of the person, and the type of treatment. It is crucial to talk thoroughly to your doctor before the initiation of your immunotherapy treatment about the possible side effects. A health care team might help you in treating or preventing the side effects of immunotherapy and this is known as supportive or palliative care. Palliative or supportive care is a lot important aspect of all the cancer treatments.
Also, to better control the side effects of immunotherapy inform your health care team about any worsening or new medical issues that you are facing as soon as possible. It is important to inform your medical team about the slightest discomfort that you are facing even you think it is not serious or do not have a link with immunotherapy. The possible side effects of immunotherapy might be even life-threatening, mild, or moderate in nature. The doctor might change your prescription of treatment or pause it depending on the severity of your side effects. In addition, the doctors mostly recommend the use of corticosteroid in the case of side effects from immunotherapy to mask or lower the pain. However, if the side effects do not improve or get worse, the doctor might completely cease immunotherapy.
Some commonly occurring side effects of immunotherapy are:
- Shortness of breath
- Muscle aches
- Diarrhea
- Swelling of legs
- Fluid retention
- Weight gain
- Cough
- Sinus congestion