Understanding immunotherapy, side effects, treatment costs and FAQs.
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The immune system is made up of cells and organs that protect the body from threats such as infections, toxins and abnormal cell growth. The immune system recognises when a foreign organism, such as a germ, enters the body and attacks it to stop it from harming the body.
Immunotherapy, or biologic therapy, is a type of treatment that uses your own immune system to fight cancer.
Immunotherapy can be given in a clinic, a doctor’s office or at a hospital. How often the treatment is given will depend on the type of immunotherapy, the type of cancer, how advanced the cancer is, how the cancer responds to treatment or the side effects you experience. Different forms of immunotherapy may be given in different ways, including orally, directly into a vein through an intravenous injection or infusion (IV), by applying a cream, directly into the bladder, or injected into a tumour.
Be more informed and have an active role in your care; download ‘Questions to Ask Your Doctor After Cancer Diagnosis’.
As your treatment is unique to you and your clinical circumstances, a consultation is usually required to give a single and accurate answer to this question. However, there is some key information to remember.
If choosing to be treated by a private provider such as Icon Cancer Centre, private health insurance is required.
In Australia, out-of-pocket treatment costs, if any, will depend on your health insurance policy level of cover.
At Icon, we have no-gap agreements with most private health funds—this means no out-of-pocket costs—for admitted Medicare Benefits (MBS) services.
Reach out to our team at your nearest Icon Cancer Centre to discuss the cost of immunotherapy treatment.
Immunotherapy side effects can affect people in different ways and will depend on how healthy you are before treatment, your type of cancer, how advanced it is, the type of therapy you are getting, and the dose.
The most common side effects are skin reactions at the needle site, which can include pain, swelling, soreness, redness, itchiness and a rash. You may experience flu-like symptoms, such as fever, chills, weakness, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, muscle or joint aches, fatigue, headache, trouble breathing, and low or high blood pressure.
Other side effects might include swelling and weight gain from fluid retention, heart palpitations, sinus congestion, diarrhoea and risk of infection.
Cancer vaccines are medicines that trigger the body’s immune system to detect cancer cells and either prevent cancer cells from developing or prompt the immune system to fight existing cancer cells.
Non-specific immunotherapies refer to the use of proteins produced by white blood cells to control immune responses that help the body’s immune system destroy cancer cells. They are often given with other cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
Monoclonal antibodies, also known as therapeutic antibodies, are immune system proteins designed to attach to specific targets found on cancer cells so that they will be better seen and destroyed by the immune system.
Checkpoint inhibitors are medicines that help the immune system respond more strongly to a tumour by releasing “brakes” that keep T cells (a type of white blood cell and part of the immune system) from killing cancer cells.
CAR T-cell therapy is an emerging type of treatment in which a patient’s T cells (a type of immune system cell) are changed in the laboratory so they will attack cancer cells.
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As Australia’s largest integrated provider of cancer care, we live our vision every day. Talk to our team at your nearest centre about being treated at Icon; we’re here to answer your questions.
Immunotherapy represents a completely new approach to cancer treatment. By participating in an immunotherapy clinical trial you have the opportunity to access a potentially lifesaving treatment and help advance cancer treatment for all Australians.
Of the clinical trials offered at Icon Cancer Centre, 75% of the new clinical trial activity is focused on immunotherapy. Icon is committed to treating our patients with new and novel therapies under our phase 1 trial program. This program has helped patients diagnosed with rare and uncommon cancers or those patients who are no longer appropriate for standard or approved therapies to be treated, meeting a severe unmet need in our community.
Cancer cells learn to survive and grow in a hostile environment due to their ability to hide from the immune system and avoid detection by the body’s own self defences. Once the immune system is alerted and activated, other healthy cells may be recognised as different and vulnerable to attack by the body’s own defence systems. This is what causes some of the side effects of immunotherapy.
If you have an autoimmune disorder such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, ulcerative colitis, or Crohn’s disease, be sure to inform your cancer specialist. Immunotherapy might still be an option, but there are additional considerations.
Autoimmune disorders cause the immune system to become overactive, attacking healthy cells and leading to inflammation. The heightened immune response from immunotherapy can worsen these symptoms.
Source: Cancer Council NSW
Consult with your specialists if you’ve undergone an organ transplant. You are likely on medications that suppress your immune system to prevent organ rejection; the right balance between these medications will need to be established alongside the increased immune activity from immunotherapy treatment.
Source: Cancer Council NSW
Icon Cancer Centre provides private immunotherapy treatment at a number of locations across Australia. Reach out to our team at your nearest centre to discuss your treatment options.
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