Combined Immunotherapy
- The active practices of immunotherapy using immunological approaches to treat malignant tumors have advanced due to the innovations within immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell immunotherapy (CAR-T). Recently, several works documented cases of survival prolongation when combining immunotherapy with a minimally invasive intervention or other traditional methods. For instance, immune checkpoint inhibitors (anti-PD-1 antibodies) used as primary therapeutic agents in many tumors are finding great synergy with minimally invasive approaches, which enhance patient survival, and more and more patients can benefit.
Comprehensive Targeted Therapy Techniques Immunotherapy Strategy
- Systemic and Localized Approach Combination: Localized techniques such as cryo-ablation, radiofrequency ablation, radiation therapy, and surgery can remove, eliminate, or decrease the tumor burden, which allows conditions featured for systemic treatment. Freezing also has a “cold immune” effect, and immunotherapy carries systemic properties. Improvement of therapeutic impact is achievable through the combination of both localized and systemic treatment.
- Combination of Multiple Mechanisms of Anti-Cancer Treatment: Different immunotherapeutic treatments have varying methods of enhancing or modulating immunity. Sequential or simultaneous application of different mechanisms creates the possibility to improve the immune system functions comprehensively.
Guidelines
- Following the surgical removal of solid tumors;
- Metastatic tumors that are not amenable to surgical intervention for other reasons may require palliative treatment;
- Tumors that come with a relapsing aspect;
A benign tumor which requires intervention but cannot be treated surgically.
At Fuda Cancer Hospital-Guangzhou, we take a holistic approach to treating cancer. Cancer therapy goes much further than just chemotherapy, radiation, and conventional surgery. Along with our award-winning history of successfully using cryosurgery to remove solid tumors, Fuda uses immunotherapy as a key treatment to greatly enhance the immune system—especially after harsh chemotherapy—to slow the spread of cancer, prevent metastasis, and improve general health.
Basically, CIC refers to everything that research has shown to boost the immune system and restrict the effects of cancer and its associated symptoms. Immunotherapy is a general term that refers to the range of cutting-edge, as well as traditional medicines that we combine to enhance the body‘s immune system. Immunotherapy includes such therapies as:
– Cytokine Induced killer Cells (CIK),
– Dendritic Cells (DC),
– Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM)
All the components in our CIC have been shown to have a strong inhibiting effect on cancer. Immunotherapy is especially good for preventing metastasis and recurrence,slowing the growth of cancer, improving general health, and boosting the immune system after the immune-suppressing effects chemotherapy.
BACKGROUND
Immunotherapy, also known as CIC-combined immunotherapy for cancer-has increasingly become the focus for cancer researchers. The past 10 years have seen an increased understanding of immuno-surveillance and appreciation of the mechanisms by which tumors escape its notice. This has led to the development of promising new strategies against cancer, such as immunotherapy, which is focused on increasing of the body’s natural immune functions against cancer cells. This treatment has had some of the most exciting and consistently successful results.
Fuda Cancer Hospital has had great achievements in the field of cryosurgery for cancer. Fuda is the leading medical organization for cryosurgery in the world, and its success has been confirmed by many specialists, including the International Society of Cryosurgery. Fuda Cancer Hospital was the first to propose and implement CIC in combination with cryosurgery, and since then, the immunotherapy/cryosurgery model has been a hallmark of Fuda Cancer Hospital-Guangzhou.
Since 1991, thousands patients with advanced and/or relapsed cancers have received combined immunotherapy for cancer (CIC) as an important and complementary part of general therapies. The results of the addition of CIC have shown that CIC can significantly prolong the life of patients, slow or prevent metastasis, and reduce the risk of recurrence.
CONCEPT
Malignant tumors do not developed in a healthy body with intact defense, repair and regulatory functions. Individuals with chronically and severely suppressed immune systems exhibit an increased incidence of malignant neoplasms. Restoring and enhancing cancer patients‘ immunological function results in a state of “dormancy” for the cancer, allowing the patient to live a longer life.
Cancer presents itself in a specific internal environment which promotes its growth. This environment develops due to multiple causes and conditions which vary from person to person. These causes usually remain chronically active even after the tumor is removed by surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy. Therefore, there is a high percentage of recurrence. Treating the tumor alone is not treating the condition producing the underlying cancer disease. Consequently, there is a high rate of relapse.
The immune system has the potential ability to eliminate neoplastic cells. Eliciting an effective anti-cancer response and removal of malignant cells are a key part of successful treatment for advanced cancers and the prevention of recurrence after operation or ablation for cancer. The restoration of the basic regulatory mechanisms is an important requirement for specific immunotherapy to reach its optimal effect.
According to the concept that cancer starts as a locally confined growth, all measures concentrated on the tumor alone seem causal and exhaustive.
On the basis of the CIC concept, cancer is treated as a systemic disease from the onset and the tumor as its late stage symptom. Therefore, it is necessary to apply two lines of approach which are of equal importance and complement each other: local (cryosurgery) and systemic (immunotherapy) treatment. The CIC program places equal importance on the removal of the tumor itself and on the conditions causing the body to develop malignant tumors.
The World Health Organization (WHO) claimed that “cancer [is] a chronic disease.” How can we turn cancer into a controllable chronic disease? CIC will play an important role to reach that outcome.
