Melanoma is a chronic skin cancer that can spread easily in individuals. Due to its fast-growing nature, patients are often diagnosed with this kind of malignancy only in the advanced stage, which an advanced treatment like immunotherapy can treat. Today, we are going to discuss the advancements in immunotherapy treatment for malignant melanoma in patients.
What is Malignant melanoma?
Malignant melanoma is a chronic skin cancer that starts in the cells known as melanocytes, the upper layer of the skin cells. Compared to other skin cancer types, malignant melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer due to its fast-spreading nature to other organs of the body.
What are the symptoms of Malignant melanoma?
The symptoms of advanced melanoma depend on the place in which the cancer has developed. Here are some of the symptoms of malignant melanoma:
- Changes in lymph nodes: Individuals may experience a hard or swollen lymph node.
- Changes in the skin: Patients may experience a hard lump on the skin.
- Pain: Patients may experience unexplained pain due to swollen lymph nodes, which presses the nerves or tissues.
- Fatigue or tired: Patients may experience unexplained tiredness or fatigue.
- Jaundice: Patients may experience yellowing of eyes and skin.
- Ascites: Patients may experience a fluid buildup in their tummy.
How Does Immunotherapy Help Manage Melanoma?
Immunotherapy is an advanced treatment that uses the immune system to fight cancer cells. Traditional therapies, like chemotherapy and radiation therapy, target cancer cells directly but often at the expense of healthy cells. Compared to other treatments, immunotherapy helps to treat skin cancer with fewer adverse effects in patients.
Types of Immunotherapy for Melanoma
Several immunotherapy approaches have shown considerable promise in treating malignant melanoma:
1. Checkpoint Inhibitors
Checkpoint inhibitors are medications designed to help the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells. Tumours often evade immune detection by exploiting certain proteins that suppress immune responses. Checkpoint inhibitors block these proteins, unleashing the immune system’s potential against cancer. Notable checkpoint inhibitors include:
- Pembrolizumab (Keytruda)
- Nivolumab (Opdivo)
- Ipilimumab (Yervoy)
These medications have significantly improved survival rates for melanoma patients by reactivating immune cells that can target and destroy tumour cells.
2. Cytokine Therapy
Cytokine therapy is a special therapy in immunotherapy treatment that involves Interferons and interleukins types of cytokines utilised in melanoma treatment. Interferon-alpha, found in Intalfa 3MIU Injection, enhances the immune system’s ability to fight cancer. It helps to slow cancer growth and, in some cases, reduces tumour size.
3. Adoptive Cell Transfer
Adoptive cell transfer (ACT) involves extracting and engineering a patient’s own immune cells to better attack melanoma. One of the most advanced forms of ACT is the use of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). These cells are harvested from the tumour, expanded in the lab, and then reintroduced into the patient to target cancer cells.
Side effects of immunotherapy
Immunotherapy may cause the following side effects, which are given below:
- Fatigue: Patients may experience unusual tiredness without any heavy physical work.
- Itchy rash: Patients may experience an itchy skin rash.
- Diarrhea: Individuals may experience a loss or watery stool.
- Vomiting: Patients may experience vomiting or a feeling of forceful throw-up.
- Decreased thyroid hormone levels: Patients may have an increased thyroid hormone, which can lead to weight gain and muscle pain.
Wrapping It up!
Malignant melanoma is a serious skin cancer, which needs advanced treatment to improve the patient’s life. It is recommended to speak with your doctor if you experience any unusual growth or changes in the existing mole or in the skin.