Get to know Immunotherapy, the Latest Lung Cancer Treatment

JAKARTA – Currently on treatment lung cancer in Indonesia, several options are available, such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, and the most recent is immunotherapy.

An innovative immunotherapy treatment is a cancer treatment method that optimizes the body’s immune ability to be used as a weapon against cancer cells. (Also read: Positive Supporting Actors for Covid-19, These Two Korean Dramas Stop Filming)

Consultant Pulmonologist Oncology Dr. Sita Laksmi Andarini, PhD, Sp.P (K), said that Indonesia has known immunotherapy for lung cancer since 2016, which works to stimulate the body’s immune system to respond to anti-tumor immunity, thereby increasing the life expectancy of advanced lung cancer patients. longer and improve the patient’s quality of life.

How immunotherapy works is different from chemotherapy. Chemotherapy functions to kill cancer cells, while immunotherapy increases the anti-tumor immune response.

“More clearly, the working system of this immunotherapy treatment is to directly target or inhibit the meeting of immune cells which are often used by cancer cells to avoid attacks from the immune system or the immune system. That way, the immune system in cancer sufferers will be much more active to fight cancer cells, “said Dr. Sita in the #LUNGTalk public education, entitled” Access to Lung Cancer Treatment: Challenges and Hopes “.

According to him, there are several types of immunotherapy for lung cancer patients that are tailored to the needs of cancer patients, including immunotherapy that blocks the immune system’s ‘checkpoint’, cancer vaccines in the form of a therapeutic vaccine to kill cancer cells, and adoptive t cell therapy that changes one type of white blood cell. in cancer patients to be able to return to attack cancer cells.

“The presence of immunotherapy answers the challenges of previous cancer treatment methods, namely increasing therapeutic response and improving quality of life. In addition, the existence of innovative lung cancer treatments can also provide optimism and a better treatment process, especially for cancer patients, “added Dr. Sita. (Also read: Facing Cancer, Feby Febiola Surrender to Live with God)

The immunotherapy method will be carried out by the patient until they have progressed healing. In addition, they will be examined and also seen whether there are side effects that can be tolerated or not. A study published by the University of Wollongong, Australia in 2019 stated that the average overall survival rate of immuno oncology therapy was 30 months.

(tdy)

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