Biotherapy / Immunotherapy - Biotherapy

Biotherapy / Immunotherapy
Cancer Treatment Centers of America

We at Cancer Treatment Centers of America believe that cancer treatment is enhanced first by understanding, and then utilizing, your body's own power of protection, known as the immune system. Immunotherapy (sometimes called biological therapy, biotherapy, or biological response modifier therapy) uses your body’s immune system, either directly or indirectly, to fight cancer or to lessen the side effects that may be caused by some cancer treatments.

Cancer may develop when the immune system breaks down or is not functioning adequately. Biotherapy is designed to repair, stimulate, or enhance your body’s own immune responses. Treatments such as interferon and colony stimulating factors are used now at CTCA, either alone, or in conjunction with other modalities such as surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.

Biotherapy may be used to:

* Stop, control, or suppress processes that permit cancer growth;
* Make cancer cells more recognizable, and therefore more susceptible, to destruction by your immune system;
* Boost the killing power of your immune system cells, such as T-cells, NK-cells, and macrophages;
* Alter cancer cells' growth patterns to promote behavior like that of healthy cells;
* Block or reverse the process that changes a normal cell or a pre-cancerous cell into a cancerous cell;
* Enhance your body’s ability to repair or replace normal cells damaged or destroyed by other forms of cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy or radiation; and
* Prevent cancer cells from spreading to other parts of your body.