Biological Therapy
What is biotherapy or biological therapy?
Biological therapy is a type of treatment that works with the immune system. It can help fight cancer or help control side effects from other cancer treatments. Examples of this are antibody medications which allow the immune system to better recognize and fight cancer cells and hormone-like drugs to assist in the recovery of low blood counts. Biotherapy is one of the newest methods to treat cancer and to help the body recover from the side effects of treatment. Ongoing research in this area holds a great deal of promise for improving cancer treatment. Drugs that fall within this category are interferon, interleukin, and colony stimulating factors like Neulasta (G-CSF, a granulocyte colony stimulating factor that increases the white blood cell count) and Aranesp or Epo (erythropoietin, which increases the red blood cell count).
What is the difference between biological therapy and chemotherapy?
Biological therapy and chemotherapy are both treatments that fight cancer. While they may seem alike, they work in different ways. Biological therapy helps your immune system fight cancer. Chemotherapy attacks the cancer cells more directly to stop their growth.
How is/are biotherapy drugs administered?
Biotherapy drugs may be given into the vein or by an injection that goes under the surface of the skin. Depending on the type of medication and the dose, it may be administered in the hospital or in the physician office. Some people may be able to self-administer their “shots” at home.
What are the types/names of some common biological therapies?
Different kinds of drugs may be used for biological therapy--some to fight cancer and some to treat the side effects of other cancer treatments. Many of the substances used for biological therapy are similar to substances that naturally occur in the body. Examples of the types of drugs used for treatment are interferons, interleukins, colony-stimulating factors, monoclonal antibodies, and nonspecific immunomodulating agents. Gene therapy is yet another type of biological therapy.
- Interferons enhance the efficacy of the immune system, and help it to recognize and attack cancer cells. Interferons may also act directly on cancer cells by slowing their growth or causing them to behave more like normal cells. There are three main classes of interferons: interferon alpha, interferon beta, and interferon gamma.
- Interleukins, such as interleukin-2 (also called IL-2 or aldesleukin), stimulate the growth and activity of immune cells. The activated immune cells are then better able to destroy cancer cells.
- Colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) usually do not directly affect tumor cells. Instead, they encourage your body to make more white blood cells, platelets, or red blood cells. This helps counteract the side effects of other cancer treatments. Examples of CSFs are erythropoietin (also called epoetin, Procrit, Epogen, or Aranesp) and G-CSF (also called Neupogen or Neulasta).
- Monoclonal antibodies (MOABs or MoABs), such as Rituxan (rituximab) and Herceptin (trastuzumab), are antibodies created in the lab. The antibodies can attach themselves to cancer cells. They may be used to:
- Enhance your immune response to the cancer (Herceptin)
- Help stop the growth of cancer cells (Rituxan)
- Deliver chemotherapy drugs directly to the cancer. (Mylotarg)
- Gene therapy is an experimental treatment that involves putting specially-engineered genetic material within the tumor. For example, a gene may be inserted into a tumor to make it more recognizable to the immune system. Antisense oncogenes can be used to silence a cancer-related gene.
What are the side effects?
Just like other forms of cancer treatment, biological therapy sometimes causes side effects. The side effects can vary a lot, depending on the drug and the person receiving it. The most common side effects of biological therapies are:
- rashes or swelling where the medicine is injected
- flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, tiredness, bone pain, and muscle aches
- low blood pressure.
Safety & Accuracy
Each patient’s tailored chemotherapy treatment is prepared in the “Clean Room” that ensures it is prepared in the safest and most accurate setting possible.