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6 Cancers That Immunotherapy Can Treat

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    Immunotherapies Revolutionize Cancer Treatment
    Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that enhances your immune system’s ability to destroy cancer cells. While only a few immunotherapy drugs have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to date, they can treat many different types of cancer. Though we still have much to learn, immunotherapies are giving many cancer-free years to patients who formerly had few treatment options. Here are six cancers immunotherapy is approved to treat.
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    1. Melanoma
    Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that’s highly treatable when found early. However, in late stages, patients have more limited treatment options. That’s where immunotherapy plays a role. In recent years, doctors have begun treating late-stage melanoma with immunotherapy drugs called checkpoint inhibitors, which work to identify cancer cells so immune cells know to fight them. Checkpoint inhibitors were initially approved to treat late-stage melanoma after other treatments failed, but now they’re are available as a first-line treatment for metastatic melanoma or melanoma that persists after surgery. Three checkpoint inhibitors have been approved by the FDA so far to treat melanoma: ipilimumab (Yervoy), nivolumab (Opdivo), and pembrolizumab (Keytruda). And in 2015, another type of immunotherapy, called oncolytic virus therapy, was approved by the FDA to treat melanoma as well.
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    2. Lung Cancer
    Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide and the leading cause of cancer-related death. But with the introduction of new checkpoint inhibitors, patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer have been given a better chance. Currently, there are three checkpoint inhibitors approved by the FDA to treat this kind of cancer. Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) was recently approved to be a first-line treatment for one type of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Nivolumab (Opdivo) and atezolizumab (Tecentriq) are both approved to treat metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients for whom chemotherapy didn’t work.
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    3. Bladder Cancer
    The approval of atezolizumab (Tecentriq) in 2016 was the first new treatment for bladder cancer in 30 years, joined by nivolumab (Opdivo), approved in early 2017. These drugs are specifically indicated to treat the most common type of bladder cancer, locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Patients can try this immunotherapy if their cancer progresses during or after chemotherapy. These drugs have increased the chance of tumors shrinking and reduced the risk of bladder cancer returning.
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    4. Head and Neck Cancer
    Head and neck cancer is an umbrella term for cancers of the mouth, sinuses, nose, and throat, and it’s one of the most difficult cancers to treat. Until recently, patients with squamous cell head and neck cancer had no other options if chemotherapy didn’t work. However, in 2016, the checkpoint inhibitors nivolumab (Opdivo) and pembrolizumab (Keytruda) were approved to treat recurrent or metastatic squamous cell head and neck cancer for patients who’d tried chemo. Among patients who responded to these drugs in clinical trials, many have stayed cancer-free for more than a year post-treatment.
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    5. Kidney Cancer
    In 2015, the FDA approved nivolumab (Opdivo) to treat patients with a type of kidney cancer called advanced metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Patients can try nivolumab after receiving a specific type of therapy beforehand. In clinical trials, 21.5% of patients treated with nivolumab saw their tumors shrink, and those who received the drug lived an average of 25 months after starting treatment—a significant increase compared to previous treatment options.
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    6. Hodgkin Lymphoma
    Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that starts in a part of your immune system called the lymphatic system. Most patients with Hodgkin lymphoma can beat the cancer with chemotherapy and are living disease-free five years after diagnosis. But in about 20 to 30% of patients, cancer will return after treatment—or it won’t respond to treatment at all. There are two intensive treatment options in these cases, but in 2016, another was added: nivolumab (Opdivo) was approved to treat Hodgkin lymphoma that relapsed or progressed following all other treatments. In clinical trials, nearly all patients who responded to nivolumab had their cancer shrink by at least one half and lived an average of eight months after treatment.
6 Cancers That Immunotherapy Can Treat
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THIS CONTENT DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. This content is provided for informational purposes and reflects the opinions of the author. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional regarding your health. If you think you may have a medical emergency, contact your doctor immediately or call 911.