Turkey is an international medical center specialized in conducting cancer immunotherapy, which is one of the methods of treatment that affects the immune system inside the human body to eliminate cancer.
In this article, we will learn about all the details of this type of treatment in terms of the medical care provided and the possible costs.
What is cancer immunotherapy? Immunotherapy treatment
Cancer immunotherapy, or what is also called biological therapy, is one of the treatment methods that affect the immune system within the human body to eliminate cancer. Immunotherapy is mainly based on stimulating and strengthening the immune system and enabling it to perform its functions more effectively.
Types of cancer immunotherapy
There are several different types of immunotherapy to treat cancer, including:
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Biological response modifier therapy:
These modifiers include cytokines: interferons and interleukins. They are chemicals that do not have a direct effect against cancer, as they stimulate the cells of the immune system to attack cancer indirectly. The patient eats large amounts of it in order to activate the cells of the immune system.
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Factors stimulating colony formation:
Blood cells are made in the bone marrow in the body, and bone marrow is known as the soft, spongy substance inside the bone cavity in which blood cells are produced.
There are three main types of blood cells: white blood cells and their function is to fight infections.
red blood cells that carry oxygen and remove waste from organs and tissues,
and platelets, which help normal blood clotting.
Cancer treatment method such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy can affect these blood cells, putting the patient at risk of infection, bleeding disorders, and anemia.
As for the factors that stimulate the formation of colonies, they are substances that stimulate the body to produce blood cells, and they do not directly affect cancerous tumors, but through their role in stimulating the production of blood cells, they may be useful in supporting the immune system during the period in which cancer patients receive treatment.
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Cancer vaccines:
Doctors and researchers are studying clinical trials aimed at developing new tumor vaccines that encourage the patients' immune system to recognize cancerous tissue.
Theoretically, these vaccines work similarly to the measles, smallpox, and mumps vaccines, the difference being that a cancer patient receives these vaccines after he has cancer in order to prevent it from recurring.
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Monoclonal antibody:
These are proteins that are produced in the laboratory, so that they can locate specific proteins associated with cancerous tumors on the surfaces of certain cells.
Then you bind to it via the opposite reaction. Antibodies can be used to locate a tumor, or to deliver drugs, toxins, or radioactive materials directly to the cancerous tumour.
Monoclonal antibodies can be given to target specific molecules on the cell surface, for example: the antibody rituximab, which targets cancerous tissue in lymph nodes, and herceptin, which targets specific cells, including breast cancer cells.
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Immune checkpoint inhibitors:
These drugs block molecules on the surface of cancer cells that suppress the immune system, helping the body's T cells to recognize and attack them.
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therapeutic viruses.
Treatment with laboratory-modified viruses aims to infect and kill certain cancer cells.
Diseases treated with immunotherapy
Cancer immunotherapy is an approved treatment for nearly 20 types of cancer, including:
- Bladder Cancer
- Breast cancer
- Brain tumors (brain cancer)
- Cervical and ovarian cancer
- Kidney and liver cancer, and lung
- blood cancer
- Colon Cancer and straight
- Prostate cancer
Immunotherapy side effects (damages and side effects of immunotherapy)
The side effects of immunotherapy for cancer patients vary depending on the immunotherapy used and the type of cancer the patient has. The patient may be affected by the treatment as follows:
- Diarrhea
- Bone or muscle pain
- Exhaustion
- Headache, fever and chills
- Anorexia
- mouth ulcer
- rash
- Shortness of breath or pneumonia
What is the method of immunotherapy for cancer?
Immunotherapy is given by intravenous injection in the hospital daily, weekly, monthly or periodically (in which the patient takes a rest period between treatments. This period gives room and time for the immune system to produce new healthy cells). The length of treatment depends on:
- Cancer type and stage
- The type of medication used in the treatment
- body response
Immunotherapy is used in two ways:
- The first way: By stimulating the natural defenses of the immune system so that it does its job more effectively or smarter to find and attack cancer cells.
- The second way: By making chemicals in the lab that are very similar to those of the immune system. They help improve the way the immune system works to find and attack cancerous tissue.
If you are interested in traveling to Turkey for cancer treatment by immunotherapy. Do not hesitate to contact us to get the following features:
- Cancer patients will have medical support on the phone for free, and an official who will track their health and listen to their inquiries.
- Our medical representative communicates with specialized doctors and hospitals in Turkey to find the best possible treatments for their health condition at the lowest cost.
- We communicate with the Turkish embassy in the patient's country to help him obtain an entry visa to Turkey to receive treatment and arrange his medical trip program for free.
- We translate medical documents and reports into Turkish for free on their behalf.
- We monitor all stages of cancer patient treatment for free in order to ensure the effectiveness of the treatment provided to them.
- We reserve the place of residence for them and their escorts for treatment in Turkey, and we provide transportation services for free.
For more details and information about cancer immunotherapy in Turkey at low costs, do not hesitate to contact us Bimaristan doctors from here.