Chemoimmunotherapy, or chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy, may help treat gastric cancer, a new study suggests.
Chemotherapy uses different drugs to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells. Immunotherapy uses treatments to stimulate or restore the ability of the immune system to fight cancer. Please note that some of the complex medical terms below are difficult to translate from professional language to consumer language and may be difficult to understand. Since many oncology patients use CAM therapies, such as vitamin A and probiotics, for stimulating the immune system, another form of immunotherapy is discussed here. In the study discussed below, the chemoimmunotherapy includes mostly drugs.
Researchers from the Carlo Ferri Foundation and University of L'Aquila in Italy explained that the chemotherapy drugs docetaxel, capecitabine and 5-fluorouracil in combination with immunotherapy drugs (interleukin-2 and 13-cis-retinoic acid) have been shown to be effective in the treatment of metastatic (spreading) gastric cancer.
The study involved 41 patients with metastatic gastric cancer. All study participants received one dose of docetaxel every four weeks. They also received leucovorin, 5-fluorouracil bolus and capecitabine twice daily on days one and two every two weeks.
The 27 patients in the experimental group also received low-doses of interleukin-2 and 13-cis-retinoic acid as maintenance immunotherapy. Cis-retinoic acid is an anti-cancer drug that is derived from vitamin A.
The researchers found a sustained improvement in the 27 patients treated with chemoimmunotherapy. This therapy was well tolerated and showed significant activity in patients with metastatic gastric cancer.
As mentioned above, cancer immunotherapy helps stimulate the immune system to fight against cancerous cells in the body. In addition to interleukins and cis-retinoic acid, immunotherapy may also involve the administration of therapeutic interferons as drugs. Interferon medication is a man-made version of a protein that is involved in the immune system. The body produces interferons to help fight against disease and infection. These proteins stimulate immune cells to destroy body cells that have become infected with cancer.
Cancer vaccines are also being invested in human trials. Cancer vaccines are given to patients after they have been treated for various cancers including melanoma, lymphoma, breast cancer, and colon cancer. Vaccinations may help the body fight against cancerous cells and prevent it from recurring.
Integrative therapies with strong or good scientific evidence in the treatment of gastric cancer include vitamin A, probiotics, psychotherapy and selenium. Further research is needed before any of these therapies can be recommended and advice of a medical oncologist and pharmacist is crucial before using any therapy in addition to those prescribed.
For more information on integrative gastric cancer therapies
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