Sarcoma Treatment: Immunotherapy

Unlike chemotherapy which uses chemicals to treat cancers, immunotherapy uses one’s own immune system to fight cancer. Immunotherapy works by altering or enhancing the immune system to assist it in locating and fighting cancerous cells.

While not as common as other methods of treatment such as surgery and chemotherapy, immunotherapy may be a possible treatment method for some sarcoma patients. There are currently some immunotherapy options available, but many more are currently being investigated and may one day be employed, greatly expanding the use of immunotherapy in treating sarcoma. One common immunotherapy drug for sarcoma is CSF1 (macrophage colony stimulating factor). It works by stimulating the differentiation of stem cells (undifferentiated cells) into blood cells, most often white blood cells. Macrophages, a type of white blood cell, helps fight foreign substances and can take part in tumor suppression.

There are many advantages to the development and use of immunotherapy such as training the immune system to be able to fight cancers. Additionally, immunotherapy has a wide adaptability meaning it can be used to fight a wide variety of cancers. Immunotherapy also is very effective for long periods of time, greatly improving the long term survival rate of those suffering from cancer.