Immunotherapy being a promising cancer treatment is a change for the way doctors treat bone cancer as well but this is still in research trials. Immunotherapy is a cutting-edge form of cancer treatment and many cancer centres offer clinical trials that are testing immunotherapy for bone cancer. One study found that a type of immunotherapy significantly improved survival in cases of osteosarcoma.
Also known as biotherapy, immunotherapies stimulates the white blood cells, and increase the body’s immune response to cancer while leaving healthy tissue alone.
Researchers have developed five general types of immunotherapies :
- Interferons: White blood cells release interferons a protein to prompt the immune system to attack cancer cells.
- Interleukins: are proteins that enhance the activity of immune cells and is useful for treating cancers that have spread throughout the body.
- Monoclonal antibodies: is a synthetic cell designed antibody that is capable of binding to a specific antigen, on cancerous cells to destroy it.
- Vaccines: help the body identify cancer cells as abnormal and target them for destruction
- Colony stimulating factors: CSF proteins increase the production of bone marrow cells, allowing people to undergo additional chemotherapy.
A recent study found that the addition of the synthetic protein liposome-encapsulated muramyl tripeptide (MTP) to conventional chemotherapy for the treatment of osteosarcoma significantly improved survival.
MTP: muramyl tripeptide, activates monocytes and macrophages (special white blood cells) and turns them against cancer cells. MTP currently remains in clinical trials. As research continues, immunotherapy may prove to be innovative bone cancer.
